Dangerous Waters
by efficacious humorosity
Summary: DH spoiler alert!  Sequel to Blood Legacy.  After Albus, Verity, Dennis, and Rose graduate from Hogwarts, they join James for a world wide cruise that will last the whole summer. What dangers will befall them at sea?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Harry Potter… just the characters of my own imagination. Yes, this is the sequel to Blood Legacy. I couldn't bear to just sit at home and not write! Thanks to all my loyal readers and welcome to all my new ones! Enjoy this first chapter of the sequel and read and review please! **

Chapter 1

About two hundred pointed black hats were thrown into the air, accompanied by cheers from the crowd of graduating wizards and witches below. "We did it! We did it!" screamed Dennis Pierce. His twin sister Verity jumped on him, hugging her twin ecstatically.

"We graduated!" she shrieked. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled off of her brother and being crushed against another body. Her boyfriend Albus Potter kissed her full on the lips, and she moaned in pleasure.

He broke off the kiss, saying, "We're done with school!" He turned to congratulate Dennis, but found that he was snogging Rose Weasley. Lastly, James Potter, who had graduated two years before, threw himself at his friends, hugging whoever he could reach with such ferocity that they gagged.

"Come on," Rose said, tugging them away from the crowd of graduated Hogwarts students, "let's get inside before we get crushed."

"Claustrophobe," mumbled James.

"So," Verity said back in the Gryffindor common room. They'd be leaving the school the following morning; this was the last night they'd ever spend at Hogwarts. "When do we leave for our trip?" They were still wearing their dress robes. Verity's were light blue to match her eyes and it showed off her figure extremely well, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Al.

"I dunno," he said absentmindedly. "But you look hot in that." She giggled. Dennis rolled his eyes, but he smiled, happy that his sister and his best mate were happy together.

"We're leaving tomorrow afternoon," Rose replied, covering for her cousin. "Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry, Mum, and Dad just want us to stop by your house for a couple hours before we take off for our cruise." Dennis and Verity were not related to the Potters, but their parents died when they were fourteen and the Potters offered to let them live in their house, which resulted in Albus and Verity snogging a lot.

"Good," James said, loosening his tie. "I can't wait to be on vacation. I can't believe I'm going with a bunch of seventeen year olds." Rose fixed him with an icy stare, so he quickly added, "But you're my best friends; I like you lot loads more than my friends that were in my year."

"Nice save," Albus commented, pulling Verity onto his lap. They had been dating since fourth year, and Verity never took off the promise ring he had given her. It was goblin made, with tons of magical properties. It was nearly impossible to break- you'd have to destroy it beyond magical repair. It always fit her, no matter what happened to finger- even when it swelled to the size of a carrot when she had an allergic reaction to a bee sting the summer before sixth year. It also gave her the ability to sense Albus's feelings to a certain extent. He kissed her cheek softly, holding her to him tightly.

"I'm going to go change," Rose said, getting up and heading for the girls' dorm. She paused and looked back at Verity. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah, these dress robes aren't very comfortable," she grinned. She kissed Al quickly on the lips before following her friend into the girls' dormitory.

"So," Rose said, once the door was shut behind them. "you and Albus are still as madly in love as ever. No, scratch that- you're more madly in love than ever."

Verity smiled at her friend massively. "Yeah," she said, fingering the two rings he had given her. One was the goblin made promise ring, the other was the Resurrection Stone. She also felt the cold of the lightning bolt shaped necklace against her chest. "Yeah, we are. How are things with you and Dennis?"

"Great," she chirped. "Are you and Albus going to tie the knot soon or what?"

Verity choked on her own spit in shock. "Well, I know we're going to be married, but… I haven't really thought about timing that much… I dunno really," she said after a few thoughtful moments.

"Well, you're probably noticed this…" Rose said. "I'm just saying… you're seventeen now…"

"So? We're of age, I know," Verity said, throwing on shorts and a tank top.

"No, I mean… the physical stuff comes into play way more than it did when you were fourteen," Rose explained, putting on jeans. "I mean… you're not obnoxious or anything when you're together… but you know he wants to…you know."

"Yeah, I know," she laughed. "And I know he does. I mean, I want to too- eventually. After we're married."

"You're lucky," Rose said. "He loves you enough to wait."

"Yeah, I know I'm lucky," Ver replied dreamily. "Let's get back- the boys will be wondering if we fell into a Vanishing Cabinet or something."

That night, Verity was tossing and turning, trying hard to fall asleep. Her excitement at the prospect of their upcoming trip was keeping her up. Suddenly, her promise ring glowed faintly in the darkness. Smiling to herself, she quietly crept out of bed and out of the Gryffindor common room. Since she wasn't a student anymore, she supposed she couldn't get in trouble for being out of bed.

She rambled over to the old oak tree by the lake. She observed it for a few moments, before reaching into what seemed to be thin air and grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and pulled it off of Albus with a flourish. He smiled at her and said, "Ring?"

"Yeah," she said, straddling him.

"I would've woken you, but I didn't want to disturb your sleep," he said.

"I wasn't," she grinned, kissing him softly. "I'm too excited about our trip. God, we'll be gone all summer."

"I know," he said. "Mum and Dad paid through the nose for that world cruise."

"I love your parents," she said, smiling. "By the way… we're of age now."

"And?" he said, playing with her hair absentmindedly.

"When are we going to get married?" she asked, spitting it out before the legendary Gryffindor courage could desert her.

He smiled. "I dunno. I haven't thought about timing that much," he admitted.

"Me neither," she sighed in relief. "I think… I think we'll know when we're ready."

"I think," Albus said slowly, "that you're right." A wicked gleam came into his emerald green eyes as he said, "But meanwhile…" He gently forced her onto the ground, laying on top of her.

"I love you, Albus Severus Potter," she murmured, their noses touching, their lips less than an inch apart.

"I love you too Verity Prince- Pierce," he replied. He bent his head down, pressing his lips to hers. He moaned in pleasure as her hands grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. He reached just under her shirt, gently fingering her lightning bolt shaped scar, remembering the time when he couldn't touch it without causing her extreme pain. That thought sparked his passion, and he proceeded to snog her guts out.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Still don't own Harry…. Sorry I didn't post yesterday; I was busy. Thanks for all your reviews! Enjoy chapter 2 and read and review please! **

Chapter 2

"Remind me again why we don't just Apparate all over the world?" James asked as they waited in line to board the Charmed, their cruise ship. The cruise line was one that catered especially to wizards, witches, and Squibs.

"Because," Rose said patiently, "we want to have the experience of being on a cruise, James. It's not as much fun if you just Apparate everywhere."

"And," Dennis added, "being on a cruise ship is wicked freaking awesome!"

"Yeah, our parents took us when we were twelve. Unbelievably awesome fun, every minute of it," Verity nodded. She looked around at the beautiful port that was near Rome. "It's beautiful here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sure is," Albus murmured into his hair. His arms were wrapped around her waist tightly, her body crushed against his. "And so are you." He kissed her hair softly, pulling her even closer to him. Suddenly, he felt a tightening in his lower regions and released her quickly, pressing her against his side instead.

"What?" she asked, a look of concern spread across her face.

"Don't worry about it," he said, smiling at her. He glanced down at his pants, and she followed his gaze, her eyes widening in realization.

"Oh," she smiled softly. "Again?" He nodded. She leaned against him, saying, "It's getting harder for you now, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "But I can handle it. I can wait 'til we're married, Ver."

She smiled at him before kissing him full on the mouth. She whispered, "Thank you."

After they finally got aboard the ship, they headed towards their cabins. Rose and Verity were in 1707 and James, Albus, and Dennis were in 1708. They were adjoining rooms, so they decided to leave the door connecting their cabins open unless it was necessary for it to be closed. "This beautiful," Rose breathed happily as they entered their cabin. Their suites were decorated with Hawaiian décor, the sunlight pouring in through the round window in the wall. There were two twin beds in the girls' suite, the same in the boys'- they'd take turns sleeping on the couch.

"Hey, where's our luggage?" James yelled from the next room.

"They'll deliver it in a couple hours, James, relax!" Verity replied. She and Rose scampered over to the boys' room- it was the exact same design as theirs, everything was just on opposite sides. Verity threw herself onto the nearest bed, sighing in relaxation.

"You know," Al said, a wicked gleam sparking in his eye, "that's my bed for this week."

Sensing that they wanted to be alone, Dennis stammered, "Uh, er- come on you two," he said, pulling James and Rose towards the girls' sweet, "let's see their room, eh?" He grinned and winked at his twin sister as he pulled the door shut.

"So," Verity said, as Albus climbed onto the bed on top of her, "we're on a cruise ship… we're alone in a suite… we're of age…"

"Are you… seducing me?" he asked, chuckling.

"No," she smiled. "I just want a good snog." She pulled him down towards her, crushing her lips against his. He responded with such enthusiasm that she took a minute to regain her composure and wrapped her legs around his waist. Gently, she rolled him over, so that she was on top for a change. He kissed her neck, nibbling a bit on her skin. She moaned, her eyes closed and her breath washing over his face like perfume. He brought his lips back to hers, relishing everything about this moment. Her taste, the burning sensation that her touch left on his skin, her smell… breathless, she pulled away, burying her face in his chest. "I love you," she murmured in his ear, her hot breath tickling it.

"I love you, too, Verity," he panted in reply. "So much…" She smiled at his words. He kissed her on the lips for several long moments, before gently sitting up. "We better go back to the others," he smiled at her.

"Yeah, you're right," she grinned. "If we take any longer, my brother will probably think we've gone and eloped."

The five of them headed up towards the buffet. "Oh my God," James gaped. "This is the most food I've ever seen in one place! It even beats out Hogwarts!" They piled their plates with as much food as possible, finally choosing a half table, half booth in the corner.

"The ocean is so beautiful," Rose murmured.

"Just like you," Dennis said, snaking an arm around the redhead's waist.

"Hey, what's up with you two lovebirds?" Albus inquired, asking about the relationship between his cousin and best mate.

"What do you mean?" Rose said, choking on a piece of lettuce.

"Just… I mean, everyone knows Verity and I are as good as engaged," he said, as Verity nodded next to him. She locked eyes with her twin brother, their matching light blue eyes speaking depths in mere seconds. Immediately, she knew something was wrong from the look in his eyes. She tore her gaze from him, trying to push that thought to the back of her mind. "What about the two of you?"

"I dunno," replied Dennis, sounding uncertain. Verity, who still knew him better than anyone else, picked up on this. She forced herself to push her worries aside, at least for the moment.

"Well, that's okay," she added quickly, covering for the confused expression on Albus' face. Apparently, he had picked up on the uncertainty between Dennis and Rose as well. "Not everyone knows exactly where they are in every relationship." Her eyes met with Al's green ones, both darkened with worry.

About fifteen minutes later, Rose and Verity were in the bathroom, fixing their hair and makeup. "What was all that about at the table?" Verity asked her friend.

"Well, you see…" Rose started, "there's something no one else knows about my relationship with your brother."

"Oh my God," Verity gaped. "You two haven't slept with each other, have you?"

"No! No, no, no!" Rose said, her voice rising hysterically with each syllable. "It's just that… well, we've been dating for over three years, yeah?"

"Yeah," she replied, wondering where this conversation could possibly be going.

"Well, Dennis hasn't said that he loves me," she admitted. Ver's mouth dropped open.

"Have you said that to him?" she asked.

"Yeah, end of sixth year," Rose said. "He didn't say it back, he just kissed me, but I felt like he was just doing it to make me shut up."

"Hmmm," Ver said thought. She was about to give Rose her opinion, but she was interrupted.

A magically magnified voice boomed throughout the ship, "All guests please return to your cabins. IMMEDIATELY! This is a code red alert."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Still don't own Harry… Sorry that it's been a few days since my last post, I went to a concert last night and slept over at my friend's house, so I've been quite busy. Thanks for all your reviews! Enjoy this chapter and read and review please! **

Chapter 3

Albus paced back and forth in the cabin, his forehead creased with lines of worry. "Calm down, little bro," James told him, becoming frustrated with his pacing. "I'm sure Rose and Verity are fine."

"But where are they?" Al asked, tugging at locks of his jet black hair.

"They're fine, Al," Dennis said, sounding uncertain despite his words, "they're two strong witches. I'm sure wherever they are, they're fine."

Just then, Rose and Verity burst through the cabin down, panting heavily. Al gathered Verity into his arms, holding her to him tightly. "Sorry we took so long," Rose said, breathless. "We got pushed into the wrong stairway on our way back." She sat down on the bed next to Dennis, leaning against him heavily.

"Well, the important thing is that you're here now and you're both safe," James said, smiling at his cousin and his friend. "Albus was about to have a coronary when you showed up."

Verity laughed, leaning into her boyfriend. "You don't need to worry about me, Albus. I can take of myself."

"I know I don't need to," he said. "But I still do."

Later, Albus, James, and Rose were in the boys' suite, unpacking while The twins were in the girls' suite doing the same thing. "Dennis?" Verity said hesitantly, Rose's confession still in the forefront of her mind.

"Yeah, sis?" he asked, putting Verity's clothes away in a cabinet drawer. "What's up?"

"Well… Rose told me that you've… you've never told her that you love her," she said, spitting it out, throwing caution to the wind.

Dennis sighed, sounding as if he had been expecting this after the awkwardness during lunch. "Yeah, it's true," he said, knowing it would be pointless to try to lie to his twin sister.

"But… why? She said that she said it to you at the end of-" she started.

"-sixth year, yeah," he said, cutting her off. "I kissed her so I wouldn't have to say it back."

"Well, why don't you want to say it back?" she inquired, looking at her twin curiously. He stopped unpacking, running a hand through his shaggy auburn hair. Their matching light blue eyes locked like they had at the table.

"The truth is," he said, "I don't think I love her. I don't know, Ver- she's amazing, and I love dating her. The thing is… I can't bring myself to tell her that I love her if I don't, you know? I'm not sure she's the one." A look of jealousy spread across his face as he added, "I envy you and Albus. You've known since you were fourteen that you two were in love and you were going to get married. Not all of us are that lucky."

Verity was silent, mulling over her brother's words. "Den… look- just don't hurt her, okay? She's Al's and James's cousin and she's my best girl friend," she said softly.

"Of course, Verity," he replied quietly. "I would never hurt her on purpose."

"Good," she murmured.

Again, a magically magnified boomed through the ship. "Attention please. All guests are now allowed out of their cabins. Please feel free to explore the ship at your leisure," the voice said. Rose, Albus, and James came into their room, smiling broadly at the new announcement. "The red alert was raised approximately an hour ago due to the discovery of the body of Mr. Timmers in cabin 1408. There is no reason to be alarmed. Mr. Timmers was an elderly wizard who is believed to have died from old age."

Silence fell upon the five of them as they looked at each other in disbelief. "Well, I guess it's safe then," James offered, as if trying to console them all.

"There's just one thing I don't understand," Rose said slowly. "If they thought he died of old age… why'd they raise the alert?"

That night found Vertiy standing on the balcony, relishing the refreshing ocean breeze and watching the Mediterranean flow by. She was stuffed after the enormous dinner they had been fed in the Diamond Dining Room. She wondered if she'd need a whole new wardrobe after three full months of cruise ship food. She heard the door that connected to the boys' suite slide open. Albus Potter stepped out onto the balcony, his jet black hair ruffling slightly in the wind. She smiled at him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her body against his. "Hey," he said quietly, "did you ever find out what was up between Rose and Dennis?"

"Er, yeah," she said. "Dennis has never said 'I love you' to Rose." She saw the look of shock come upon his face, his green eyes widening in disbelief. "I asked him about it, and he said he just doesn't know for sure if she's the one."

Albus frowned, but then he cheered, his entire face lightening up. "It just makes me all the more glad I have you," he said. He captured her lips with his, feeling her returned pressure. His hands grabbed the back of her neck, as he deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth. She granted it almost immediately, jumping up slightly and wrapping her legs around his waist. Moaning in pleasure, he pressed her up against the wall, kissing her even more fiercely.

He pulled his lips from hers, moving them down her neck as she arched her back. He nibbled lightly on her bare skin, coaxing a moan from her lips. He pressed his lips to hers once more, kissing her more passionately than ever before. As if her hands had a mind of her own, she tugged his shirt upwards. He broke off for a moment, allowing her to pull his shirt off. He kissed her more urgently, his hands wandering freely up and down her figure.

Unthinkingly, he started tugging at her shirt, practically begging her to allow him to remove it. She relented, breaking off just long enough for him to pull it off with a flourish. She crushed her lips to his again, her black bra pressing up against his chest. He felt his adrenaline kick in and he realized that if he didn't pull away now, he wouldn't be able to. Sucking in a deep breath, he broke off the kiss, cradling her in his arms, his eyes shut tight. Cautiously, he opened them, looking down at her. Her face was blank as he set her down gently on the floor. They stared at each other topless for a moment before Verity said, "Wow."

"Wow," he agreed softly. "This is the farthest we've ever gone before."

"You're right," she said quietly. Then she flashed him a small smile. "Good night, Albus. I love you." She walked over to him, planting a searing kiss on his lips before pulling her shirt back on and returning to her suite. He smiled to himself, knowing full well that they had gone a bit to far that night, even though they couldn't regret it. He knew in all certainty in that moment that he loved her enough to wait, and that no temptation could coerce him into anything otherwise. He pulled his shirt back on. He was just sliding open the door to his cabin when a high pitched scream sounded from Verity's room.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Don't own Harry… thanks for all your reviews! Enjoy chapter 4 and read and review please! **

Chapter 4

Albus, James, and Dennis literally charged into the girls' cabin, wands at the ready. Al was relieved to find Verity standing in between the two beds, pale, with a scared expression on her face, but otherwise fine. He ran to her, gently forcing her to face him. "What's wrong, Verity?" he asked, his green eyes wide with worry. She said nothing, her lips trembling. He kissed her forehead sweetly, attempting to comfort her. "What's wrong?" She raised a shaking finger and pointed at Rose, who lay eagle-spread on her bed. Dennis ran to his girlfriend, gathering her slender form in his strong arms.

"She's still breathing," he said, relief washing over his face. "We should get her to the infirmary, though."

"She's going to be all right," the matronly nurse said, tending to Rose expertly.

"Do you think she'll have any memory of her attacker?" James asked, looking worriedly at his cousin.

"Perhaps, but nothing can be certain," said the nurse. "She could be out cold like this for a few days. I'll be sure to call for you lot straight away if she wakes."

"If?" Dennis asked, his blue eyes darkening with worry.

"I mean when," amended the nurse. "Now, go- she needs her rest."

They left infirmary and headed for the elevator. Fascinated, the designers of the ship had modeled it after a Muggle elevator, but bewitched it to run on magic. The gold doors slid open as they stepped into it, Dennis hitting the button numbered 18. Verity leaned against Albus in the confined space, fine but thoroughly shaken. "Ver," Dennis finally said to his twin as they stepped out onto their deck, "what's wrong? I mean… I don't know that I've ever seen you this shaken up before."

"It's just…" she said, speaking clearly for the first time since her discovery of Rose, "it's kind of creepy to know that he was in our cabin… if I hadn't been out on the balcony with Albus-"

"What exactly were you doing on the balcony with my brother?" James inquired, looking interested.

"None of your business," Verity said firmly. "If I hadn't been with Albus out on the balcony, maybe I could've saved her."

"Or you could've just been victim number 2, number 3 if Mr. Timmers was number 1," Al told her strongly. "Don't blame yourself." She grunted in assent, but grimaced. He sighed a bit, nibbling on her ear. They finally arrived back in their cabins, Verity pausing uncertainly at the door to hers. "What?"

"It's kind of creepy, sleeping alone in the room when someone's meant to be in the next bed over," she whispered, a scared look coming into her eyes. "I'm scared."

The boys looked at each other, dumbfounded. They'd never seen Verity this scared; Rose's attack had really gotten to her. "I'll sleep in her bed," Albus spoke up, "until she comes back, okay, love?"

James and Dennis were lying on their respective beds, staring up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. "How are you holding up there, mate?" James asked.

"I'm okay. Rose's a strong witch and an even stronger woman, I'm sure she'll be fine," he said, sounding unconvinced and worried.

"That's just it," James said uncertainly. "She graduated with top marks- only you, Ver, and Al are her competition. Wouldn't someone have to be really powerful to overpower her?"

"Well, yeah," Den said grudgingly. "But who's powerful enough on this ship?"

Meanwhile in the next room, Albus and Verity were getting ready for bed. Al stripped down to his boxers, his toned muscles exposed. This did not go unnoticed by Verity, who sucked in a deep breath of self-control. "Oh, sorry," he chuckled apologetically.

"It's good," she said. "Now look the other way- I'm about to change." He obeyed, staring pointedly out the window, watching the ocean rush by. Verity exchanged her top and pants for a white tank top accompanied by a black pair of short shorts. "Okay, I'm decent."

He took the sight of her in, smiling at her broadly. "More than decent, I'd say," he told her. "You look beautiful."

"I love you," she murmured crawling into bed. He laid himself down on Rose's bed, watching her intently.

"I love you too," he mumbled. He closed his green eyes as she turned the lights out with a soft flick of her wand.

He tossed and turned for nearly two hours before surrendering and sitting up straight in bed, putting his glasses on again. He sighed, looking over at his sleeping girlfriend. He softly crept towards her, lovingly brushing a lock of her auburn hair back from her face. "So beautiful…" he murmured softly, placing a soft, tender kiss on her exposed cheek. Her blue eyes fluttered open, her mouth curving into a smile at the sight of him. "I-I'm sorry, Verity," he stammered. "I d-didn't mean to wake you."

"I wasn't ever sleeping," she smiled at him. "I'm dead tired, yeah, but I can't sleep." He smiled at her, sitting on the bed and pulling her onto his lap. "I wonder…"

"What are you thinking?" he asked curiously, kissing her hair softly. He nearly laughed, remembering that the twins' hair got greasy if they didn't wash it at least once day- he couldn't tell the difference. Her hair was silky and soft; the strands practically begged to be entangled in his fingers.

"I wonder what your grandparents were like… not Grandma and Grandpa Weasley, obviously, I know and love them," she said. "I mean your dad's mum and dad. Lily and James."

"I wouldn't know," he said sadly. "Would I?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Albus," she said, deeply regretting her lapse in judgment.

"You can make it up to me," he said. Without bothering to wait for her to ask how, he fastened his lips to hers. He could feel her legs shaking slightly with pleasure, so he rested a hand on her thigh to still them. Overcome by the heat of the moment, he picked her up gently, his lips still moving passionately against hers and stood up, slamming her against the wall. He slid his thigh in between hers as he felt her sag against him. Gently, not wanting to overwhelm her, he slowly drew her bottom lip into his mouth, sliding his tongue into her mouth. She gasped in pleasure. Her taste intoxicated him, his closed eyes rolling back into his head. She responded to his pressure with equal ferocity, both of them getting drawn deeper into the snogging session. He gently fingered her scar just underneath her shirt, his fingers burning from touching her bare skin. Her arms tightened around his neck, her fingers entangling themselves in his unruly jet black hair. She eventually broke off the kiss, breathless, her lips swollen and chapped. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, gently kissing every inch of his exposed skin that she could reach. This sent shivers of pleasure up and down his spine, as he gently laid her back on the bed. He laid next to her, his fingers playing with her hair absentmindedly. She turned her whole body so that she was facing him, her hand resting on his bare chest. Her right leg stretched across his legs. He sighed in bliss and finally fell into a deep sleep, haunted by tempting dreams of her…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Blah, blah, blah, don't own Harry, blah, blah, blah. Thanks for all your reviews! Enjoy and read and review please! This is a very fluffy chapter! Don't say I didn't warn you!**

Chapter 5

Albus Potter woke with a start, Verity tangled up in him. She was lying next to him, her face buried in the crook of his neck, her hot breath tickling his bare skin. Her arm was wrapped around his bare chest, her fingers curled around his side. Her leg was placed in between his legs, her knee grazing the inside of his thigh. He smiled to himself, savoring every instant their skin touched. He kissed her forehead softly, her auburn hair showing signs of sleep. He gently untangled her from him, smiling at her. She unconsciously changed into a more comfortable position, turning her face away from the sunlight. He quietly crept to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

He stepped out of the shower, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel. How could he have been so stupid as to forget his clothes? He grabbed jeans and a black shirt quickly from a chair, scrambling back into the bathroom to change, not before noticing Verity's blue eyes were partially open, her mouth curving into a smile.

Half an hour later, Al and Verity were snuggled up on her bed, the bewitched television screen flickering softly. Albus kissed her exposed neck, before nibbling a bit on her ear. She moaned softly. "Ver?" he said quietly.

"Hmmm?"

"How do you tell someone how much you love them?"

"Well, suppose showing them is better than telling them," she replied thoughtfully, her light blue eyes half-closed in thought.

"And… how would you show this person how much you love them?" he asked, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.

"By your actions…," she said, her voice trailing off dreamily. She was still a bit sleepy, a red mark still on her cheek from where she had slept on it.

"Well, what kind of actions?"

"It doesn't matter," she muttered. "Just as long as it truly shows your feelings." She turned her head towards him, finally waking up fully. "Like how you love me enough to wait 'til we're married to have sex," she said. "Or when you were willing to die for me back in fourth year when Drasen was about to kill me." A thoughtful and suspicious look spread across her face as she asked him curiously, "Why?"

He pressed his lips to hers briefly, before breaking off for a moment. "Don't kiss back for just a moment. I just want you to know I feel," he mumbled against her lips.

She barely had time to murmur her assent before his lips were on hers again. She obediently fought the urge to return his pressure, her hands limp at her sides. He tilted her head back, pouring every emotion he ever felt for her into that one kiss. She could taste his want for her, no, his need for her in his life. His hand gently cupped her face, as she still fought her desire to respond. He felt himself being emotionally drained as he attempted to explain to her how he felt without using a single word. He felt hot tears leaking from his closed eyes.

She felt one of his tears hit her nose, and with a start, she realized he was crying. Something inside of her snapped. She couldn't take it any longer. Forgetting what he told her, she immediately began to respond to his kiss, her lips moving against his. He seemed shocked at first, inhaling a sharp breath, before his hot tongue swept against her mouth. She granted him entrance, his taste enough for her to sag against him. Her hands managed to find their way into his jet black hair, her fingers tangling themselves in the jet black strands. She tried to do the same as him, pouring every emotion into the one kiss. He was surprised to feel her equal need for him, her desperation for him to love her. Breathless, he finally broke off the kiss, resting his head on her shoulder, tears still pouring from his eyes. "I thought I told you," he panted, not really sounding angry nor disappointed, "not to kiss back."

"I just," she said, attempting to regain her breath, "wanted you to know how I feel too." He looked up at her, tears streaming down his face, and was startled to realize that her blue eyes were sparkling with tears.

"Please don't cry Verity," he begged, crying harder at the thought. "I hate it when you cry."

"You're crying, too," she pointed out, a single tear streaming down her cheek. Albus reached out, wiping it away gently with the pad of his thumb. He kissed her jaw line tenderly, moving on to kiss the corner of her mouth. After a few moments of silence, she asked softly, "Is that how you really feel?"

"Wha?" he asked, the question catching him so off guard that he couldn't even fully get out the word.

"Is that how you really feel?" she repeated. "You kissed me so… like you need me." He nodded.

He placed a soft kiss on her lips before saying, "I'm whipped." The promise ring on her finger glowed softly, as if in agreement.

"I was hoping you would say that," she said quietly.

He cocked his head to one side, asking, "Why?"

She threw her head back against the headboard of the bed, replying, "'Cause I am too." She sighed, adding, "Why did you cry?"

He flashed her a small, watery smile. He replied, "Because I was afraid you'd never kiss me back."

The music was so loud that the very floor of the dance club vibrated. James, Dennis, Verity, and Albus had decided to go clubbing that night, trying to keep their minds off of Rose's absence. It was not easily done and they failed miserably, but dancing proved to be an appreciated distraction. James stood alone by the door, watching the people dancing to the beat of "SexyBack" by some Muggle artist called Justin Timberlake. Albus and Verity were on the floor dancing and laughing as they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They pranced over towards him as the song ended. "Having fun?" he asked, grinning wickedly at them.

"Hell, yeah," Al breathed. The three of them smiled at each other, chuckling slightly. It was almost as if the attacks had disappeared from their minds; the only reminder was Rose's absence.

"Hey," Verity said suddenly. "Where's my brother?"

"He disappeared ages go in search of a firewhiskey," James replied. "I dunno if he fell into a goblet of it or what." They laughed as Albus snaked an arm around Verity's waist. She was wearing a black halter top with her faded jeans, showing off her slim but toned figure (thank God for Quidditch).

"Wait," James said suddenly. "I think I see him over there." Al and Ver followed his gaze and found Dennis, his auburn hair spelled to be bright green tonight.

"Damn," Verity muttered. She shook her head angrily, watching her brother.

"Oh, shit," Al murmured. Dennis was dancing with some blonde and she was all over him. And he was _smiling_! Suddenly, he turned her around and kissed her.

Something inside Verity snapped. She barreled over towards her twin, drawing her wand. "DENNIS YOU TWO-FACED LITTLE BASTARD!" she screamed. The blonde looked indignant and made to stand in Verity's way, but she shoved her aside roughly. She opened her mouth to hex her twin, but Albus grabbed her from behind, gently but firmly taking her wand from her grasp. "Let me go!" she protested.

Dennis had a look of utter guilt and remorse on his face. "Ver, please, listen to me!" he begged.

"Not a chance!" she snarled at her twin. "I ought to hex you into next summer!"

"Come on, Verity," Albus said softly. He cast a disdainful look at his best mate and escorted his girlfriend out of the room. "Calm down," he said to her softly, rubbing her back soothingly. He brought her out to the promenade, hoping the sea breeze would calm her down.

"Damn, you're in trouble man," James said as he and Dennis headed up towards the cabin. "You're in trouble. I've never seen her so angry."

"Me neither," Dennis said worriedly, running a hand through his hair, which he had returned to its normal auburn color. "And I've known her since she was born."

"What were you thinking, mate?" James asked him exasperatedly.

"I dunno, James. I really dunno."

"Are you okay, Verity?" Albus asked her, his hand in the small of her back now. She exhaled heavily, her blue eyes still alight with anger.

"Damn him," she said angrily.

"Look, Ver. I really think you need to talk to him about this," he said. She snorted doubtfully. "I'm serious. He's your twin brother. And even though what he did was dick-headed, you still love him, right?"

"Right," she admitted grudgingly.

"So talk to him," he told her. "It'll help- I promise."

"Again, Verity- I'm really sorry for what I did," Dennis was saying to his twin about thirty minutes later. "I'm going to make a final decision about Rose by the end of this vacation, okay? I promise."

"Okay, bro," said Verity. "And I'm sorry I tried to hex you."

His mouth twisted into a lopsided smile. "It's okay. I deserved it. You're not going to tell her, are you?"

"No," she shook her head. "It would just break her heart."

"So…," he said, "we're cool?"

"Yeah," she grinned, hugging her twin. "I'm going to the gift shop; I'm going to buy a present for Rose."

"Okay," he said agreeably. "I'll see you later."

Verity was in the store, looking at the clothes for women, wondering if Rose would want a tank top or a hoodie. She was reaching for a tank top when someone grabbed her from behind. She opened her mouth to scream but the person clapped a strong hand over her mouth and her world went black…


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You know how it goes… I don't own Harry. Thanks for all your reviews! Enjoy chapter 6 and read and review please! **

Chapter 6

Verity found herself bound and gagged in a darkened cabin, a face looming over her. "Ms. Prince- Pierce," breathed the man who was her captor. "Who longs to be Mrs. Potter. You are mine."

"Have you seen Verity?" Albus asked Dennis, itching to kiss his girlfriend. It was nearing midnight and she had yet to return to her cabin.

Dennis shook his head. "Last time I saw her, she said she was going to the gift shop to buy Rose a present."

"I'll go look for her," he said, walking through the door. He knew Verity was a brilliant witch, but it was unusual of her to stay out this late without telling anyone. He had a bad feeling about the whole situation. How long could it possible take to pick out a present, even if you were a girl addicted to shopping? It seemed an eternity before he finally reached the gift shop. He looked around, searching for any sign of Verity. She was nowhere to be found. His stomach twisted into a nervous knot as he approached the counter. "Excuse me?"

"How may I help you, sir?" asked the cashier. He looked tired, but he smiled warmly at Albus.

"Have you seen a girl here tonight?" he asked.

The cashier smiled. "'Course I have, sir. I see tons of girls. What did she look like?" he said.

"She has long auburn hair, light blue eyes, about a head shorter than me, beautiful, amazing…," Albus said, struggling to find words to describe Verity that didn't make it obvious how whipped he was.

"Your girlfriend, huh?" said the cashier. Al nodded. "Yeah, I saw her. She was looking at the tank tops and hoodies over there."

"Did you see her leave?" Al pressed.

"Yeah, I did. She was helped out of here by some guy. She seemed to have passed out," said the cashier. "Now that I think about it, it was rather strange. He didn't seem to know her."

"Oh my God," Al breathed, burying his head in his hands on the counter. "Look, can you do me a favor?"

"'Course," he said.

"Tell the guests in cabin 1708 that Verity's gone missing, okay? And can you alert security as well?" he asked desperately.

"Are you sure she's gone missing?" the cashier gaped. Al nodded. "'Course I will then. I'll get everyone searching for her."

"Thanks…" Albus said, realizing that he didn't know the cashier's name.

"Adam," he supplied. "And you are…?"

"Albus," he told him. "Thanks, Adam." He scampered off, wondering where the hell Verity could be. He closed his green eyes, shutting them tightly, hoping that when he opened them that he'd be back in his cabin, this all being some horrible, horrible nightmare.

He opened his eyes hopefully and was devastated with the fact that it was utterly real. He felt tears leaking from the corner of his eyes, wondering how in hell this was happening to him _again_. "Pull yourself together, Albus," he murmured to himself. "You can't find her if you have a breakdown." He inhaled a deep breath and began to think.

Verity struggled against her bonds, trying desperately to get free. She was also thinking carefully about her situation. How the hell did he know about Albus? Her captor turned towards her again, and with a start, she realized she recognized him. She struggled to talk through her gag, her words coming out in an incoherent grumble. "Recognized me, have you?" he asked, smirking. "Very good. You are as bright as they said back at Hogwarts." Her blue eyes widened in fear. "Ah. You can't talk, can you? Here." He removed her gag, as she spotted her wand sitting on a cabinet near the door. She quickly averted her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she spat at him.

"Now, now, now," he scolded, "you best be nice to me. Or I'll go pay a little surprise visit to your brother… or your friends Rose and James… or maybe I'll go visit your little boyfriend first, eh?"

"Leave Albus alone," she snarled. "I don't know what you think you're planning T-" she started, but she was cut off as he replaced the gag on her mouth.

"You're too much of a chatterbox for me," he smirked. "I find Muggle bonds are much more useful than magical ones. Muggles really can be brilliant, eh? But you'd know that, wouldn't you, Mudblood?"

Albus was soon joined by Dennis and James, who were both clearly worried about Verity. "What are we going to do?" Dennis asked anxiously, wringing his hands.

"Wait," James said suddenly. "Can't you find her? Don't twins have some sort of special connection or something?" Dennis perked up a bit.

"Yeah," he said.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Al demanded. Dennis closed his eyes, focusing on his sister. As if they had minds of their own, his feet began to walk. "Where are you going?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "But I think Verity's there." Al felt a surge of hope, quickly replaced by skepticism.

"She can't die," he muttered to himself desperately. "I love her too much." A single tear fell from his green eyes, splashing onto the floor.

Verity had given up. Her struggling clearly wasn't doing anything, and her captor was too strong. "Hey," he said brightly, "maybe when your boyfriend comes after you, I can kill him… and you can watch." Anger ignited in her chest, her blue eyes alight with fire. Suddenly, her promise ring burned so painfully that she gasped suddenly. _Albus_, she thought desperately. She felt so angry and desperate in that moment, she screwed her eyes closed, trying hard not to cry. Suddenly, the ropes binding her burst and she was free. Her captor turned and she barreled straight into him, knocking him to the floor. She grabbed her wand from the cabinet, pointing it at him steadily.

"On your knees," she growled.

"Your boyfriend's going to pay for this," he said nastily.

"On your knees!" she roared as he obeyed. She grabbed his wand from the mirror, snapping it in two without a moment's hesitation. She then approached him, swinging her arm back, and proceeded to punch him out. "I find that the Muggle way of dueling is more fun. Don't you?"

Suddenly, the door burst open and Dennis, James, and Ablus came barreling through. He disappeared with a pop, the three boys rushing towards her. Her twin hugged her tightly, before she was ripped from his grasp by Albus. He kissed her quickly on the mouth, before saying, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled, before she promptly fainted in his arms.

Verity Pierce woke to find Albus sleeping on the bed next to her, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers to sleep in. She glanced down at herself. She was wearing a light blue nightgown to match her eyes. She snuggled up to him and he woke with a start. "Verity," he breathed, relieved.

"How'd I get in different clothes?" she asked curiously.

"Dennis," he replied. "Since he's your brother, he's already seen you naked. Plus, I wouldn't want any guy who wasn't me or your brother to see you like that… and it'd be too much for me to resist, most likely." She smiled at him.

He couldn't bear to wait any longer. He pressed his lips to hers urgently, meaningfully. His hands found her waist, gently rolling her top of him. She moaned into his mouth, her lips moving against his with equal passion. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly, her fingers digging into his flesh. Her hot tongue swept against his mouth and he opened it, her taste clouding his senses. He began massaging her back with his hands and she sagged against him in bliss. Her body was pressed against his in all the right places; his arms shook spastically around her waist.

When they finally broke off, they just laid there, breathless for a while. "I love you," he murmured, his lips brushing against her ear softly.

"I love you, too," she replied. Suddenly, a thought of her attacker struck her and she rolled off of him, an urgent look spread across her face.

"Ver?" he said, sitting up. "What is it?"

"My attacker," she said quietly. "I recognized him."

"Yeah?" he said. "Who was it?"

"It was Tyson."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Don't own Harry. Thanks for all your reviews! By the way, Tyson was mentioned about twice, I think, in Blood Legacy. Once in chapter 2 and the other time was in James's memory, I'm not sure what chapter that was, though. Enjoy this chapter and read and review please!**

Chapter 7

"Tyson?" Al exclaimed, his head snapping up. "That prat who claimed he dated you in third year? The same bastard who tortured James when he was in Hogwarts?"

"The very same," she nodded. "Did I tell you what he said?"

"No," Albus laughed. "All you told me was that you were fine before you were out cold in my arms."

"Right," she said, giggling slightly. "So… Tyson. We have to find him."

"Right you are, Ver," he said, kissing her forehead softly. "But I'll bet you anything he has a store of Polyjuice Potion ready."

She groaned softly. "Damn, I bet he does. Well, we'll have to alert the authorities on the ship anyway. I wonder what he's up to…"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "But it must be something big for murder and assault and kidnapping… assuming he killed Mr. Timmers and attacked Rose as well." She got up from the bed, yawning widely and stretching, her nightgown riding up a bit. A tortured look crossed Albus's face. "Could you please not do that?"

She blushed furiously, pulling her nightgown down. "Right. Sorry. I'll just be taking a shower then," she said, grabbing some clothes out of her drawer and heading for the bathroom. She paused in the doorway, turning back to flash him a quick smile before prancing into the bathroom. He grinned wolfishly to himself, shaking his head, his black bangs flopping into his eyes.

"Damn, I love her," he murmured softly, before heading into the next room to wake his brother and his best mate.

"This is so much fun!" Verity squealed, clinging to Albus's arm ecstatically. She grinned at Adam, who had tagged along with them. "Sorry. I get overexcited sometimes. It's a pleasure to meet you and thanks so much for helping Albus last night; I suppose you could say I owe you my life."

Adam shook his head, his blonde bangs flopping around. "From how Al tells it, you had knocked, er… Tyson's lights out already," he said. She laughed, as did Albus. Dennis was in the infirmary, visiting the still unconscious Rose. James was off dancing with some redheaded chick; Albus and Verity were just relieved he had finally found a girl.

Verity suddenly noticed a blonde girl a few yards away checking Albus out shamelessly. She felt anger claw at her stomach, but it disappeared as soon as Albus wrapped his arms around her, planting a soft kiss on her head. The blonde looked disgruntled and stalked off. "Isn't he the greatest?" she said sappily, staring up at her boyfriend.

Instead of being disgusted like Dennis or James would've been, Adam nodded and said, "And that green shirt he's wearing really makes his eyes pop. But check out that hottie over there!" He pointed to a brunette boy standing about twelve feet away. Albus thought his friend was behaving strangely, but he ignored it as Verity giggled.

"I'm going to go get some drinks. I'll be right back, okay?" Albus said.

"Okay," Ver said agreeably. He kissed her cheek quickly before heading off in search of the bar. Suddenly, "LoveStoned" by Justin Timberlake began playing and she squealed. "I love this song! Too bad Albus isn't here to dance with me…"

"I know I could never take his place… but if you merely need a dance partner, I'm sure I could suffice for such a lowly position," Adam said.

"Thanks, Adam," she grinned. They headed out to the dance floor and began to dance, both enjoying themselves.

Albus returned to find their table empty. He set the drinks down, scanning the crowds for Verity and Adam. He found them dancing together on the floor, and jealousy and anger began to claw at his stomach, which twisted itself into an uncomfortable knot. A wave of misery washed over him. _She doesn't love me_, he thought. He slumped down into his chair miserably as they headed back over towards him. "Enjoy yourselves?" he asked bitterly.

"Albus?" Ver said, cocking her head to the side in concern, "what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" he laughed mirthlessly, jumping to his feet. "What's wrong is that you're dancing with another guy!"

"Oh," Adam said, realization dawning on him. "I thought you two knew."

"I know," Ver said, laughing. "Apparently he doesn't."

"I'll be… er, back," Adam said, scampering off as fast as he could.

"Don't laugh! I thought you loved me," Albus said, covering his face with his hands as he slumped down into his chair. He felt a few tears leak from his eyes, as he heard Verity sit in the chair in front of him.

"Oh, Albus," she said, no longer laughing. She wiped away his tears with her thumb. "Don't cry. I've always loved you, and I always will. Only you, Al, don't you know that?"

"But you- dancing- Adam?" he said, his voice strangled in confusion. She began to laugh again. "Why are you laughing?"

"Albus," she said through her laughter, "Adam… Adam bats for the other team. He's gay, Al."

Albus' jaw dropped. "What? No, there's no way Adam could be gay…" he protested.

"He said the shirt you're wearing makes your eyes pop, Albus," she said simply. "And he pointed out a hottie that was a bloke."

"Hmmm," he mused. "Maybe you are right."

"Maybe?" she giggled, her light blue eyes sparkling with her laughter. "Look at him." Sure enough, Adam was over in a corner, snogging the "hottie" he had pointed out earlier.

"What do you know? I have myself a gay friend," he chortled.

"Albus," Verity said softly, suddenly serious, "did you seriously think I'd stop loving you that easily?"

"I didn't want to, Ver," he said sadly, "but I just love you so much and I need you…"

"Al, I could never stop loving you, even if I tried," she said.

Smiling softly, he cupped her face in his hands, drawing her closer. "Now why would you want to do a silly thing like that?" he asked, before pressing his lips against hers. He kissed her again and again.

"Maybe we should go outside… on the balcony?" Verity suggested, wiggling her eyebrows at him suggestively. He nodded, pressing her tightly against him as they walked out onto the balcony, the wind whipping their hair around. He kissed her again, his mouth soft on hers. The kiss started off chaste, both their mouths remaining closed. But suddenly he began to kiss her more urgently, and she could feel his need for reassurance after his temporary doubts. She deepened the kiss, grabbing his waist and deciding that any space between them was too much space. After all these years, he still found it amazing how perfectly her body fit his, every crevice- it was almost as if they were made for each other.

They finally pulled away for air, both of them gasping, lips swollen. She leaned against him heavily, just letting him hold her, keeping her warm in the cool night breeze. "Oi, I don't mean to interrupt anything but…" said a voice. They broke apart and turned to find themselves facing Dennis.

"It's fine, bro," Ver said. "What's up?"

A look of utter glee spread across her twin's face. "Rose woke up."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Still don't own Harry, don't sue. Thanks for all your reviews! Enjoy chapter 8 and read and review please! **

Chapter 8

"It was Tyson," were the first words Rose spat out as soon as Dennis, Verity, Albus, and James came flying into the room.

"That jackass," Verity gasped. James proceeded to fill his cousin in on what she had missed while she had been unconscious. Suddenly, Verity saw her twin look at her pleadingly. She grinned at him wickedly. "I think these two want some privacy." She hugged Rose and Dennis before grabbing the Potter brothers by the hands and dragging them out of the infirmary and towards the elevator.

"What was that for?" James asked, rubbing the red mark her rings had left on his hand.

"They obviously wanted to be alone. Or are you thick?" she said exasperatedly. "Honestly…" Albus wrapped his arms around her, pulling her face up to his and giving her a long, chaste kiss.

"Do you mind?" James demanded, clearing his throat loudly.

"What's your problem?" Al asked his older brother sharply.

"You two, kissing all the time. It gets sickening after a while," he said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "It's like you two can't keep your lips off each other."

"Excuse me?" Albus and Verity demanded at the exact same time. Verity looked rather dangerous, a fisted hand placed sassily on her hip, her light blue eyes smoldering in anger.

"Never mind," James said, backing away hastily.

"Maybe if you got a girlfriend, James," Al said, "you'd loosen up a bit about others kissing in front of you."

"I did get a girlfriend," he mumbled, referring to Susan, the girlfriend he had had in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. "Not quite a good experience."

Verity sighed. "Look, James," she said, as they stepped off onto their floor. "I know Susan broke your heart and she was a bitch, no doubt about it. But there is a girl out there for you, you just have to find her, you know?"

"Thanks, Ver," he said, flashing her a weak smile. They had reached their cabin and he opened the door to the boys' cabin. "I think I'm going to turn in."

"Okay. Good night, bro," Albus said.

"Good night, James," Verity said quietly. He smiled at them before heading into the cabin and shutting the door tightly behind him.

Verity Pierce sat on the windowsill of their cabin, watching as the Mediterranean rushed by her. She had a faraway look in her eyes; they were unfocused, her finger subconsciously twirling a lock of her red hair around it. "What are you doing?" Al asked, still dressed, coming up behind her. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top to sleep, her long, slender legs nicely exposed.

"Just thinking," she replied softly, seeming a bit off beat.

"About what?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. For what seemed the first time ever, she squirmed uncomfortably in his arms. He looked bewildered.

"Tonight," she murmured softly, turning to face him. He released her, his green eyes plagued with worry. "I just can't get over how quickly you thought I didn't love you anymore."

"It was stupid, I know, Ver," he said. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I believed that… it was just the first thing that fell into my head."

"But… why?" she choked out, her blue eyes now sparkling with tears. A few leaked from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Verity, please!" he said, his voice cracking on the last word. He wiped the tears away with his thumb. "I just… I just…" His voice trailed off as he flashed back to a rather large fight they had had in their sixth year.

_"I can't believe you just went and hexed Jason Pearson!" Verity was screaming at Albus in the now empty Gryffindor common room. _

_"He hit you in the face with a Bludger, Ver! I had a bloody right to!" he yelled back, his face turning beet red with anger. _

_"I'm fine! Madam Humphrey healed me in about a second and we still won the bloody match!" she said shrilly. "I can't believe you." _

_He bit his tongue, flopping down onto the nearest couch. "I don't know why I even love you," he spat bitterly. _

_A look of shocked anger and hurt spread across her face. "Well then maybe you shouldn't." With that, she retreated to the girls' dormitory, tears streaming down her face in torrents. _

_A week later at breakfast, Verity was shocked to receive a scarlet envelope from her owl. "You better open it, sis," Dennis said. She tore it open hastily. _

_"Verity Prince-Pierce," said the Howler in Albus' voice. A look of disgust crossed her face, as if she thought he was going to berate her through Howler since she refused to speak to him. "I'm sorry." This was the last thing she had expected it to say, and her blue eyes softened. "I'm sorry that I hexed Jason and I'm sorry I tried to fight your battles for you. I'm sorry I said that I doubted my love for you, because, in actuality, I've never doubted it. Some blokes would wait for you to come to apologize to them, but not me. You shouldn't be sorry, I should be. Again, I'm sorry, for everything that I've ever done wrong. I've cried every night since we fought, because I need you, I love you. Verity… I'm whipped." _

_Rose turned to see her friend's face, but found that Verity had already fled the Great Hall. _

_"Albus? Albus!" Verity was calling in the Gryffindor Tower, knowing he hadn't come down for breakfast. She found him in his dorm, crying heavily. She ran into his arm, tears streaming down her own. "I want you to love me, Albus." _

_He kissed her hair softly, glad to have her back as he said, "I always have; I always will." _

"Albus, are you okay? You just zoned out for ages," she said.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he reassured her. "You remember our fight in sixth year?"

She grimaced, still crying lightly. "Don't remind me."

"Well, I just feel like… I gave you the Resurrection Stone and the promise ring and the necklace. I'm the one who's having a hard time resisting shagging 'til we get married… I know you love me, but I think the reason that thought fell into my head was because of all those things," he said.

"Albus," she groaned. "Don't you think it's hard for me too? When you come out of the shower, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel, it takes all of my self-control to keep myself from jumping you right then and there. When we kiss, my knees fail me and I sag against you, don't you notice that? I can barely keep my eyes off of you, even for a second, I just learned how to hide it well. I want to make love to you almost more than anything else in the world, Albus! I love you as much as you love me. I need you as much as you need me. It's just harder to see." She was sobbing heavily by the time she finished her little speech. She jumped off of the windowsill, brushing by a stunned Albus on her way to bed.

He snapped out of his trance, grabbing her by the waist and spinning her around. He pulled her flush against him and bent his head down so his mouth fell across hers. He kept it unusually short and simple, merely trying to see if her words were true. He broke off the kiss, grinning down at her. "You really did mean it."

"Of course, I did, Albus," she groaned, a few tears still trickling down her face. He kissed them away sweetly, hating to see her cry. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't. I'm just as whipped as you are." He pulled her in for another kiss, this one more passionate and demanding. His hot tongue swept against her mouth, seeking entrance. She granted it and as soon as she tasted him, just as she had said, her knees gave out and she sagged against him. He moaned into her mouth, partly because of the pleasure and partly because of the burden of carrying her weight as well. He picked her up as she suddenly found the strength to wrap her legs around his torso. His mouth still moving against hers, he carried her over towards the wide windowsill where she had been sitting before. He sat her down on it, still kissing her deeply. He reached just under her shirt, his warm hand splaying against her toned stomach. He felt her muscles tighten under his touch as she kissed him even more deeply. He realized that she really did feel the exact same way he did.

When they finally broke apart, breathless and swollen-lipped, he rested his forehead against hers for a moment. "You know you're going to bear my children one day, yeah?" he panted to her, breathless. Though he had yet to brush his teeth, but his breath still smelled enticing to her. She reached under his shirt, pressing her hands against his chest, discovering first-hand the wonders of Quidditch.

"Yeah," she smiled as his muscles spasmed under her hands. "I love you, Albus."

"I love you too, Verity," he said, smiling broadly at her. "You have no idea how happy you make me." Suddenly, they heard a tapping at the window. They whipped their heads around to find an owl carrying a letter.

The envelope read: "For Mr. Albus S. Potter. URGENT MESSAGE!"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I own all the characters that J.K.R doesn't, and none others. Never said I did. Thanks for all your reviews! Read and review please!**

Chapter 9

Albus was forced to run out to the promenade to meet the owl; the windows in the cabins couldn't be opened. He returned, the owl perched comfortably on his shoulder, the unfolded letter in his hands as he read it. "What does it say?" Verity asked him.

"Oh, God," he moaned, slumping onto the ground. He buried his face in his hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting next to him, her arm draped over his broad shoulders. He said nothing, handing her the letter wordlessly. Her eyes scanned the page.

_Dear Mr. Potter_

_I am troubled to inform you that there was an attempted attack on your parents' residence earlier this evening. Someone attempted to break into the house, but was quickly scared away when Mr. Harry Potter aimed a hex at the intruder. No one was harmed, and the Ministry is launching a full investigation. Thank you. _

_Sincerely, _

_Minerva McGonagall _

"Oh, Albus," she sighed, leaning against him, brushing her lips against his cheeks softly. "At least no one was hurt."

"I know," he said, turning his bright green eyes towards her. "But it still worries me."

She nodded sympathetically. "I love your parents, too. They took Dennis and me in after our parents died," she said. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent for a few moments.

He raised his head, kissing her softly as he said, "I love you."

"I love you too," she murmured. She yawned widely.

"Go to sleep," he told her firmly, standing up and guiding her to her bed. "I'll be fine."

She started to murmur her assent as he tucked her into bed lovingly, but she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. He smiled down at her, placing a soft kiss on her red hair. Deciding he'd rather not even bother with trying to sleep in a separate bed, he climbed into bed next to her, her warm body keeping him delightfully warm. He felt drowsy almost immediately, his green eyes sliding shut.

Rose was released from the infirmary the following morning, much to their delight and relief. "It's great to have you back, Rosie," Albus said, hugging his cousin tightly. "But I guess I won't be sleeping in your room anymore."

"What?" she gaped.

"Verity wasn't comfortable with sleeping in the cabin alone, so while you were away I slept on your bed," he explained.

"In Verity's bed, more likely," James snorted. Verity slapped his arm. He rubbed it tenderly. "All right, all right."

They ate lunch in the Diamond Dining Room, absolutely pigging out on the gourmet food the cruise line provided for them, discussing ways to hunt down Tyson. "I should've brought the Invisibility Cloak," Albus said bitterly. "It'd be loads of help."

"Yeah. Maybe even the Marauder's Map," James added. Rose cast him an exasperated look.

"James, the map only shows the grounds of Hogwarts, you dolt," she said, forking a piece of sausage into her mouth. "And it wouldn't be a good idea to have two of the Hallows so close together, even though the Cloak would be great for spying-" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes going wide and her jaw dropping. She turned to Verity. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Rose, does anyone ever know what you're thinking?" she laughed. "You start off about the cloak and then you talk about spying- oh!" She nodded her head vigorously. "Library?"

"Library," Rose said. "We'll see you all later." The two girls swept out of the dining room, leaving three stunned boys in their wake.

"What," Dennis said, "the bloody hell was that all about?"

"I dunno," Albus shrugged. "But I have learned something from knowing my cousin and your sister for as long as I have. That is, if they've both had the same epiphany, we're on the verge of a **major** breakthrough. Way bigger than when Verity got Gryffindor's sword."

Albus, James, and Dennis were watching music videos on the bewitched television (the cruise ship was quite obsessed with Muggle objects) when Verity and Rose burst through the door, carrying two books borrowed from the ship's library. The three boys jumped up, startled at their sudden return. "We've done it!" Rose announced ecstatically, her red hair everywhere.

"Done what?" James asked. "Managed to scare the shit out of us yet again?"

"No," Verity replied, casting her friend a scathing look. "We've figured out how to spy around the ship!"

"How?" Dennis asked eagerly.

Rose lowered her voice to a dramatic stage whisper. "We become Animagi."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Albus asked. "We can't become registered on the ship, you know that."

Verity raised an eyebrow at him. "Who said anything about legally?"

"So this is it?" Dennis asked, eyeing the wand in Rose's hands nervously. "You're absolutely sure this won't come out horribly wrong? We could get in so much damn trouble, not to mention we could turn out really messed up."

"We're sure," Verity told her twin, though her eyes said different. "Don't be a wimp, Den."

"Me? A wimp? Yeah, right," he said, shaking a bit. He faced Rose determinedly. "Do it."

Rose recited the spell they had found in the book. After she was done, Dennis seemed to be the same. "Did… did it work?" Rose squeaked. As if to answer her question, he began to shake uncontrollably. "Oh, shit."

"Relax, Rose. The book said this was normal," Ver said, sounding scared herself. Suddenly, in front of their very eyes, he morphed into an eagle. "Just like your Patronus!"

"The book said that was typical as well," Rose nodded, feeling relieved.

"Try turning back into a human, mate," James said encouragingly. Almost immediately Dennis returned to his human form, smiling giddily.

"Now me," Ver said. "Let's do this thing."

Nearly an hour later, they were wandering around their cabins in animal form. Dennis was an eagle, Verity a mare, Albus a mustang, Rose a swan, and James a wolf. "I can't believe all our Animagi forms are the same as our Patronuses," Dennis said, having returned to his human form.

"Well, the books say it's normal," Albus said, remembering what the girls had said before. "I'm surprised none of this got messed up."

"Well, Dad said Grandpa and his friends managed it at school," James pointed out. "But we need to start spying, because we have no clue why the bloody hell Tyson's screwing around with us."

"Hey," Verity said, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "How did you find me the night he kidnapped me?"

"Dennis," Albus replied. "He just… focused on you and started walking. It led us right to Tyson's cabin." Verity gaped at Dennis.

"Den… we're-we're twins," she stuttered.

He grinned at her, bemused. "Good on you, Ver. You caught onto the fact that we're twins a mere seventeen years after being born," he teased.

"I know that," she sniped, brushing away his comment. "I know why Tyson is messing with us."

"Why?" Albus asked her eagerly, taking her hands in his. "Verity, what is it?"

"He wants something," she gulped.

"What does he want?" Al pressed gently. Dennis had, apparently, caught on, his blue eyes darkened with worry.

Verity faced Albus, gulping again audibly. "He wants Dennis and me."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Don't own Harry. Thanks for all your reviews. Read and review please!**

Chapter 10

"Why would he want you?" Albus sputtered, wrapping her in his arms protectively.

"Twins have… have special powers, so to speak," Dennis said, picking up where Verity left off. "They're able to sense each other's feelings, locations, etc. Sometimes they can even seem to read each other's minds. But I don't think that's the part Tyson's after."

"Well," Rose said, "what's he after then?"

Verity sucked in a deep breath, biting her lip. "When twins perform magic together… it's way more powerful. Unbelievably powerful," she told them. "You've never seen me and Dennis do magic together, have you?" They shook their heads. "We didn't want to give it away."

"Watch," Dennis said. Verity wriggled out of Albus' arms and stood next to her brother. They hugged each other tightly, matching blue eyes screwed shut in concentration. Suddenly, their feet left the ground and the twins were hovering about two feet in the air, still clinging to each other. Verity released her twin and they both landed gracefully on the ground. "It's not the same type of magic that requires a spell or something," he said, running a hand through his red hair. "It's more something that you… I dunno, something that you feel."

"Hey," Ver said brightly. "I bet we could tame Albus' hair, even."

"I'm up for it," Dennis shrugged.

"No, I was just stating that hypothetically," Verity said, sitting down on Albus's lap again. "I love his hair messy."

"Really?" Al asked, raising a black brow at his girlfriend.

"I love it," she assured him, playing around with his jet black hair as if to prove what she had said.

"So… that's what our prat-stalker is after then, is it?" James said, sounding rather frightened.

"That would be my guess," Dennis said. "He'll want to capture Ver and me and force us to work for him, most likely using you all as bait."

An uneasy silence was upon them all during dinner. The tension was so thick that they could cut it with a knife, so to speak… wondering about this particular Muggle saying, Dennis waggled his tongue in the air, wondering if he could taste it. "Dennis?" James asked, his black eyebrows raised. "What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Uh, er- nothing," Dennis said quickly, blushing and returning to his soup. "It's just… been too quiet."

"You're right," Rose sighed. "We're all too worried. We need to unwind."

"Swimming?" Verity suggested, a familiar twinkle in her light blue eyes.

Her twin smiled at her. "Swimming it is."

The five of them were in the pool on the top deck just over an hour later, splashing around the pool, swimming away their worries. "What? Albus, no!" Verity squealed as the strong, black-haired boy dunked her. He laughed, bringing her back to the surface quickly. "That was not nice," she pouted, stifling her giggles.

"Let me make it up to you," he smirked, placing a searing kiss on her wet lips. She giggled, wriggling out of his grasp.

"Catch me if you can!" she called, swimming away as fast as she could. He chucked to himself before swimming after her.

James, Dennis, and Rose were lounging around in the corner, watching the "Couple of the Year" chase each other around like three year olds. "Aren't they so cute together?" Rose gushed.

"I wouldn't say cute…" Dennis replied uncertainly. "But they certainly are happy together, and that's all that matter, isn't it?"

"I suppose," James sighed, watching Albus hold Verity in his arms, kissing her cheek softly. "Is my little brother ever going to ask her to marry him?"

"I damn hope so," Rose said fiercely. "I think they're waiting… 'til they're ready."

"And exactly how long is that going to be?" James said, grinding his teeth in frustration. "I mean honestly, he may as well just jump her now."

Dennis shot his mate death glances. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing," James said innocently.

"I don't think he needs us bugging him right now, Jamsie," Rose said, using his pet name. "He's really worried about Tyson and the attack on his family… bugging him about getting engaged would just put so much more pressure on him."

"You're probably right, Rosie," Dennis said, draping his arm around his girlfriend. "We'll leave him alone… until he either figures it out himself or until this whole Tyson thing is over. Which will hopefully be soon." He hauled himself out of the pool, muttering something about firewhiskey.

"Are we all ready to go?" Verity asked, forty-five minutes later. She, Albus, Rose, and James were all standing by the bar, toweling themselves dry.

"We're just waiting for Dennis," Rose said, beginning to look worried. "In fifteen minutes, he'll have been gone for an hour."

"Well, where'd he go?" Albus asked his cousin.

"He was going to get a drink," James said worriedly. "He must've fallen into a Vanishing Cabinet."

"This isn't good," Verity said, her blue eyes darkening. She scampered over towards the bar and said, "Did you see a boy here earlier? With my color hair and eyes?"

"Yeah, sure did," said the bartender. He had a thick New York accent, a Mets cap sitting on his head.

"Did you see where he went?" she asked.

"Hmm…," he said thoughtfully. "Left with some brunette bloke with the weirdest black eyes…" Verity gulped audibly. She only knew one person with eyes like that…

"Tyson," she murmured. "Thanks so much for your help!" As she walked back towards her friends, she felt tears streaming down her face. Tyson had her twin brother.

"What's wrong?" Rose demanded as she spotted Ver's tears.

"T-Tyson's got him," she stammered, collapsing into the nearest chair. "W-what are we going to do?"

"Well, that's obvious, isn't it?" James asked kindly. "We're going to use your twin power."

"What are you playing at, you prat!" Dennis spat at Tyson. Tyson had him tied up in the corner of a kitchen, which was astonishingly empty.

"Luring your sister in, dolt," Tyson replied dryly. "Once I've got the both of you, you'll have to work for me."

"Never!" he snarled. "My sister would never work for a dumbass like you!"

"Shut it!" Tyson growled. "As soon as your little friends get here to rescue you, I'm going to kill one of them."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Again- anything you recognize from the **_seven_** books- NOT MINE! Thanks for all the reviews; keep it up please! Enjoy. **

Chapter 11

Ver's feet were moving as if they had minds of their own, Albus, Rose, and James trotting dutifully behind her. "We're heading towards the kitchens," she said, hoping her feet knew what they were doing. Suddenly, she realized how strange that thought sounded and forced it out of her mind.

"I hope to God Dennis is down here," Rose squeaked, her eyes plagued with worry. James put a reassuring hand on his cousin's shoulder, attempting to calm her down.

"Don't worry, Rosie," he said. "We'll find him."

Dennis visibly paled. "Caught your attention now, have I?" Tyson sneered. "As a treat, I'll let you choose who dies. Just not your sister."

"Gee, I don't know," Dennis said, pretending to actually consider Tyson's offer. "How about… oh, none of them? You stay the hell away from my friends!"

"Hmmm… whose death would affect the two of you the most?" he pondered aloud, ignoring Dennis' outburst. "James… maybe, though I must admit, it'd be a pleasure to watch him die after all these years... Rose? She's your girlfriend… got it!" he said, snapping his fingers.

"You finally figured out that living isn't such a good look for you?" Dennis sneered.

"Albus," Tyson said, his black eyes filled with fire. "He's your best mate and Verity's in love with him. Perfect." Fear clawed at Dennis' stomach. He couldn't let any of them die, especially Albus.

"Stay the hell away!" he repeated, his voice giving away his desperation.

"Oh yeah?" Tyson laughed mirthlessly. "Who's going to stop me?"

As if on cue, someone burst through the door, crying, "_Expelliarmus!"_

Tyson's wand flew out of his hands. "Verity!" Dennis cried. With a flick of his wand, Albus freed his best mate, hauling him to his feet. Meanwhile, Tyson had recovered his wand and was facing off with Verity.

"Ver!" Albus said, starting to head towards her, but Tyson put up a Shield Charm, blocking him from her.

"Tyson Grimmer," Ver growled. "You low-life, dirty bitch!" Tyson looked shocked, so she added, "That's right- I went there. You didn't deserve to be in Gryffindor- I doubt you even have balls to speak off, dick head!"

James raised his eyebrows, impressed with her vocabulary. He slowly backed out of the room, Albus motioning at him furiously to go get help. As soon as he was sure he had gotten out unnoticed, he took off at a run, hoping that whatever help he could muster up would arrive before it was too late. "Aren't we a bit old for name calling, Pierce?" Tyson spat.

"Don't interrupt, Grimmer- it's not polite. I wasn't quite done yet," she growled. "You're so cowardly, I'm surprised they didn't send you on the train back home the minute the Sorting Hat touched your head. You're so thick that walls envy you!"

"Are you done yet?" he asked, grimacing.

"No," she said. "I'd hex you so bad that you'd end up going backwards, but it looks like someone already beat me to it."

"Scared, Pierce?" he said dangerously out of the corner of his mouth, raising his wand.

"In your dreams," she said. _"Incarcerous!" _

_"Crucio!" _

They both dodged the beams of light aimed at them, facing off again. "You're going down, Grimmer," she snarled, her blue eyes darkened with anger.

"I don't think so," he said, aiming a curse at her. She dodged it, but only just. "After I've overpowered you- that's right, I'm not going to kill you, Pierce- I'm going to kill Potter over there." She turned and gaped at Albus desperately for a moment, before turning her attention quickly back to Tyson.

"What happened to you?" she asked softly. His expression changed from determination to one of uncertainty as she continued, sensing that it was working. "You were just a boy Tyson. You didn't have to go bad. What happened? You're not Tyson Grimmer anymore, the boy two years ahead of me who used to fancy me. You're… you're someone else, Tyson. Why are you doing this?"

She knew she'd said something wrong as soon as his jaw clenched, the determination renewed in his eyes. "Power," he said, his black eyes once again alight with fire. "All my life, I've been told that I was an ordinary wizard- nothing extraordinary about me. Nothing special. They told me I'd never be better than anyone else in anything. I'm going to prove them wrong, Pierce. By overpowering you."

She shook her head, her red tresses falling everywhere. "You don't have to do this, Grimmer. You could prove them wrong in loads of other ways. Why ruin our lives as well?"

"Because you could've had me! You could've had me and you chose him!" Grimmer said, his voice rising shrilly with every word as he gestured wildly towards Albus. "You settled for him when you could've had me!"

This time, it was he who had said something wrong, for Verity's face hardened again. "You'll pay for that, Grimmer. You're not Tyson anymore. You've… you've changed," she said, raising her wand. Sensing that he was about to lose, Grimmer removed the Shield Charm and muttered something under his breath, his wand pointed at the ceiling.

"Verity, watch it!" Albus cried, but it was too late. The ceiling came crashing down on her as Tyson Disapparated with a pop.

"Is she going to be all right?" Rose croaked out. Verity was lying, very still, on a bed in the infirmary, Dennis on the bed next to her. Den, however, was propped up on one elbow, watching his twin with worried eyes.

"There's no way to know for sure, Ms. Weasley," replied the nurse, who had been surprised to see them there yet again. "Magic can only do so much healing- it's up to her body now. Her wounds are deep and terrible." Albus had been silent since the moment Ver was crushed under the ceiling. He was gripping in the edge of the bed so tightly that his fingers were turning white, afraid to touch her and cause her more physical pain. All their expressions were grim- where Grimmer was now was the least of their worries.

"Why couldn't she get out?" Dennis managed to choke out as the nurse left his twin's bedside. "Why?"

James sighed. "It all happened too fast. I got back just as she was raising her wand, and in a blink, he had gone and the ceiling was on her. It was just… just too fast."

"We've got to go to bed, you all," Rose said, glancing at her watch. "It's unbelievably early in the morning."

Albus shook his head furiously. "What are you going to do, little bro? Stay here?" James sighed. His brother nodded his head vigorously. "Okay. We'll be in the cabin." James and Rose bid them good night, leaving to go get some sleep.

"Al?" Dennis asked, looking at his best mate worriedly. Albus turned his green eyes towards him, and Dennis noticed that they were shining with tears. He felt his stomach twist itself into a knot as he said, "She's strong, Albus. She loves me and she loves you. She'll pull through, Al- believe me." Albus nodded, still looking worried, but maybe just a bit less. "Good night." Al nodded in his direction, still refusing to speak. Quietly, he crawled next to her under the covers, gently pulling her into him. He kissed her hair softly, closing his green eyes. When he finally managed to fall asleep, he dreamed, torturing dreams of losing her.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. Thanks for all the reviews, please keep it up! Enjoy! **

Chapter 12

"Good morning, Sleepyhead," said a voice. Albus' green eyes fluttered open as he was met with the sight of Verity's light blue eyes. He tried to say something, but his words got caught in the back of his throat, so he simply pressed his lips to hers.

"Watch it," she said, grinning at him widely as she pulled away. "I'm still really sore."

"Sorry," he apologized, speaking for the first time in what seemed like ages. He put on his glasses to get a better look at her. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged, wincing at the pain that simple movement caused her. "I'll live," she said eventually, her blue eyes closed lazily. She leaned back against him, her back against his chest. "Did you sleep here all night?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I just… I just couldn't leave." She smiled up at him, before glancing at her twin, who was dead asleep, snoring away like-

"Is that a chainsaw?" Albus asked, looking around, confused.

"No," she snorted, giggling, "it's my great big lump of a brother. Hand me my wand, would you?" He handed her wand to her as she performed a nonverbal spell. Suddenly, Dennis was dangling in the air, as if by an invisible hand.

"Put me down!" he protested, his blue eyes opening quickly. They landed on the caster of the spell and he cried, "Verity! You're alive!"

She snorted as she put him down. "'Course I am, you dolt. I couldn't leave you here without me. You'd probably fail your Auror exams," she said. "Training starts in September, you know."

"I know, I know," he said, grinning brightly at her. "Albus here was worried as well. Didn't say a word from the time the ceiling fell."

She gaped up at him. "Too worried," he said in response to her curious look. Her smile faltered, but she said nothing, snuggling up to him. "D-doesn't that hurt?"

"Albus," she said softly, her blue eyes staring at him intently, "what hurts more is not being able to touch you. I can handle this." He smiled a bit, pulling her tightly against him.

At that moment, Rose and James walked through the door, looking sleepier than ever. "Verity!" Rose squealed, throwing her arms around her friend. Verity winced, but smile nonetheless as she squeezed her friend in return.

"Feeling better now, are we?" James asked, smirking at both Albus and Verity. He hugged Verity, placing a brotherly kiss on her forehead. Albus scowled at him. "Glad you're okay, Ver."

She smiled and noticed Albus was still scowling at his older brother. She surprised him by kissing him full on the mouth. She pulled away, whispering in his ear, "Don't worry. James is just like my brother to me. I love you." He smiled at her, his white teeth glittering in the light.

"I love you too," he murmured.

The next three weeks passed without any incident. They visited eighteen ports of call during that time, enjoying each immensely, despite the fact that, in Venice, James fell out of the vaporetti and into the Grand Canal. Grimmer seemed to have disappeared; they couldn't help but wonder if he had decided to stay at one of the ports. The only thing that had changed was that Dennis, James, and Rose began to bug Albus. "Albus, why don't you just ask her and get it over with?" Rose wheedled.

"No!" Al said, glad that Verity had gone to the bathroom. However, James, Dennis, and Rose always made sure they never brought up proposing around her. "Why are you bugging me about proposing to her?"

"Because you two are meant to be married!" James hissed, lowering his voice. "And sooner rather than later!"

"What do you think, Dennis? You're her twin brother," Al sighed, eyeing his best friend inquisitively.

Dennis swallowed a mouthful of food before saying, "Al… you love her, right?" Albus nodded his head vigorously, thinking that this was the most obvious thing in the world. "And she loves you. I say… whenever you're ready. You even have my blessing."

Albus gaped at him. Dennis had always supported their relationship but never had he said those words. "W-what?"

"You have my blessing," he repeated. "Once you're married, I don't care what you two do. Well, I care. But you're free to do whatever you want. Snog, shag, have kids…"

"Thanks," Al smiled. "That means a lot to me, mate."

Verity had returned, so they immediately shut up. "Hey," she chirped, sitting next to Albus. "What'd I miss?"

"Nothing," James, Albus, Dennis, and Rose chorused together, trying to sound innocent. She raised an eyebrow at all of them, but said nothing, continuing to eat her surf 'n turf. She shrugged.

"So, Ver…" Albus said, draping his arm over her shoulders, "what do you want to do tonight?"

She chewed on her shrimp thoughtfully. "What do you want to do?" she asked.

He smiled, saying, "It's up to you, love."

"Just you and me?" she grinned. He nodded. "Let's just… walk. On the observation deck."

"Walking it is, then," he smiled. Dennis rolled his eyes, but he knew he'd be one of the first to pour champagne when they finally got engaged.

That night, Albus and Verity were walking around the observation deck, hand in hand. The wind ruffled their hair, making Albus' look messier than ever. "This vacation isn't turning out to be so bad," he commented.

She looked up at him. "What made you think it wouldn't?" she asked.

"Oh," he said, looking down at her with a huge grin on his face, "you mean other than the fact that someone was murdered, Rose was attacked, you and Dennis were both kidnapped, and you had a ceiling fall on you?"

"Yeah," she grinned. "Other than that."

"Well, nothing," he shrugged, wrapping an arm around her. "But I promise, the rest of this vacation is going to be amazing."

She laughed hollowly. "Don't make promises you can't keep. We still don't know for sure what happened to Grimmer," she said.

"Well, I can try to keep my promise," he smiled, drawing her closer to him. He pressed his lips to hers, his hands slowly making their way to her hair. Her hands fisted in his shirt, closing any gap between the two of them. He eventually pulled away, saying, "I've got to go the bathroom."

"All right," she said, kissing him lightly on the lips before he headed off. She leaned against the railing, sighing happily. She was sure now. She had absolutely no doubts. Albus was 'the One' for her. She wanted to marry him more than anything- she couldn't think of anything that could make her happier. She sighed, anxiously anticipating his return.

Half an hour later, he was still missing in action. She decided to go check on him in the bathroom. She knocked on the door. No response. "Albus?" she called hesitantly. Silence. "Albus, are you okay?" Still no response. "Albus, I'm coming in there! Speak now or forever be responsible for scarring me for life!" Receiving no response, she pushed open the door slowly. No one was there. She turned to leave, but a streak of blood on the floor drew her attention. She sucked in a deep breath, realizing what was lying next to the blood. Albus' glasses.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Don't own, don't sue. Thanks for all they reviews, they really help keep me going. Read and review please! Enjoy. **

Chapter 13

"Calm down, Verity," James said, trying to calm down his blubbering friend. "We can't understand you."

Dennis stepped out of the bathroom, wearing new clothes, his hair still wet. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing his crying twin. She set off, telling the same story as best as she could through her tears. Somehow, Dennis understood her. "Okay," he said, hugging her to him tightly. "He went to the bathroom. He was still gone half and hour later, so you went to check on him. You knocked on the bathroom door, but no one answered. So you bravely went it and saw blood on the floor, next to his glasses." She nodded, sucking in a deep breath and holding up Albus' glasses.

"This is not good. Where the hell could he be?" Rose asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Verity asked, finally getting her crying under control. "Grimmer's got him. To get to Dennis and me."

"Aw, shit," Dennis said, slapping himself on his forehead. "We should've seen this coming; Grimmer threatened Albus last time."

"We've got to find him," James said darkly. "But how do we know where he is? Or if Grimmer even has him for sure?"

"We don't," Denis said grimly. "We have no idea."

A week later, there was still no sign of Albus. James had gotten Adam to alert the security on board the ship, but to no avail. "I bet Grimmer's made whatever cabin he's hiding in Unplottable and the like," James muttered murderously, pacing back and forth in the cabin. Verity, since Al's disappearance had become some sort of shell; she barely spoke, her blue eyes often looking distracted.

One particular night, she found herself standing on the railing on the observation deck, the breeze from the ocean, the wind playing at her red tresses. She wasn't even considering jumping at all, she was merely standing there, trying not to think whatsoever. Suddenly, a voice came up behind her. "I thought I might find you here," it said. She turned to find James, smiling at her, leaning against the railing.

"I'm not planning to jump or anything," she said hastily, returning her feet to the floor of the deck. "I just like being up there."

"I know," he said simply. "I know you've promised not to commit suicide, and I know you wouldn't go back on that promise." He looked at her thoughtfully before adding, "Though you haven't been yourself lately, Ver."

"I know," she said softly, looking down at her feet. "He means the world to me, James. More than life itself." He looked at her knowingly.

"He feels the same way about you. You know that, don't you?" he said.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I'm just scared that… I might not see him again."

"Ver, you will," he said firmly. "You will."

"The night he disappeared," she said slowly, "he promised that the rest of this vacation would be great. I told him not to make promises he couldn't keep. Guess I was right, huh?"

"Yeah, guess you were," he said. "But this was out of his control. Grimmer's powerful, I know. The professors didn't take a liking to him because of his arrogance and cruelty, but he was brilliant and powerful. Not to mention driven."

"We have to rescue him, James," she said softly. "Because if we don't… I'll never get to marry him." She turned her blue eyes towards him, looking mournful. "After graduation, we agreed that we'd get engaged when we were ready. I'm ready, James. But he's gone."

At this moment in time, she was curled up on Dennis' bed, assuming fetal position. It was almost as if she had died inside; her eyes no longer twinkled. If they ever did, it was only briefly, and the twinkle was gone as soon as it had come. Suddenly, a black owl swooped through the door as Dennis opened it, returning from the buffet. He carried a plate of food over to his sister, hoping to tempt her with it. The owl landed in front of her and she untied the letter tethered to its leg. She read it, her blue eyes growing wider with every word. "What is it?"

"It's from Grimmer," she whispered. "He has Albus. He wants Dennis and me to come- just the two of us. To the observation deck at midnight tonight."

"What are we going to do?" Rose asked, twiddling her fingers nervously.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Dennis asked quietly. "We're going to go."

It was quarter 'til midnight and the twins were already waiting for Grimmer and Albus on the observation deck. Verity hugged Dennis to her, burying her face in his chest. "God, Den, what if he's… what if he's…" she said, the rest of her sentence getting caught in her chest.

"Don't worry about it, Verity," he said, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I'm sure Albus is fine- he's a strong wizard." She nodded into him, forcing back the tears that were threatening to spill from her blue eyes. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand furiously, refusing to be crying when Grimmer came.

"Well, well, well- look who showed," said a voice from the shadows. The twins turned their heads sharply.

"Grimmer," Dennis growled. "Where's my best mate?"

"Not to worry," Grimmer laughed, stepping out of the darkness. "I've got him." Sure enough, Albus was trailing behind him, bound by invisible ropes. He looked a bit bruised and battered, but not too badly.

He must've been gagged as well, for his eyes grew wide when he saw the twins, and he struggled to talk. "Albus…," Verity moaned, her blue eyes sparkling with tears once more. She turned to Grimmer and demanded in a dangerously low voice, "Let him go."

"Not until you agree to work for me," he said, smiling at them wickedly.

"We'll do no such thing," Dennis spat. "What have you done to him?"

"Nothing," Grimmer replied, "yet."

"You let him go!" she shrieked, her hand reaching for her wand, but hesitating.

Smiling evilly, Grimmer pointed his wand at Albus and muttered, "_Crucio!_" Albus fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Both the twins watched, their blue eyes tortured. They both longed to do something, but they forced themselves to stick to the plan they had quickly drawn up with Rose and James in the cabin.

After about fifteen minutes of watching him being tortured, Verity cried, "Stop it! Stop it, please!" Her desperation could easily be heard in her voice, tears streaming down her face.

"You can make it stop, Pierce," Grimmer sneered. "Just say you'll work for me." Albus shook his head furiously at her, his green eyes pleading her not to give in. She looked between them- Grimmer and Albus and made her final decision.

"Right you are, Grimmer," she said, her voice stronger now. "I can make it stop. But I'll never work for the likes of you."

"Now!" Dennis cried, his voice cracking. Out of seemingly nowhere, a swan and a wolf charged at Grimmer, tackling him to the ground. The wolf clawed at him furiously, drawing blood with every swipe of his paws. The swan, though when compared to the wolf was relatively harmless, pecked at him with her beak, squawking madly at him. Meanwhile, Dennis and Verity grasped hands, their blue eyes screwed shut in concentration. The ropes and gag binding Albus were destroyed in an instant, but before they could go to his aid, they had one final thing to take care of.

With a yell, Grimmer burst into flame. It wasn't Fiendfyre- the twins would never dream of using that. They were however, magical flames. Grimmer disappeared with a pop. Verity tore herself from her brother's grasp and ran to Albus. He was weak from his torture, but he wrapped his arms around her nonetheless. She burst into tears, her relief and worry being released in a single torrent. "I love you," she murmured in his ear, her tears soaking into his shirt.

"I love you too," he choked out, holding her to him tightly. Finally, she managed to keep her crying in check and helped him onto his feet. He wrapped his arms tightly around her again, as if afraid to let her go. "What did you do to him?"

"Magical fire," Dennis replied. "Not Fiendfyre, but it'll definitely do some damange. But he'll be back. Soon." James and Rose had morphed back into humans and James was busily wiping Grimmer's blood off of his hands, a look of utter disgust plastered on his handsome face.

"He'll be back," James agreed, looking each of them in the eye in turn. "And we'll be waiting, we'll be ready."

Albus collapsed onto the nearest bed as soon as possible, loving the feeling of the soft surface beneath him. Verity kissed him tenderly on the cheek, before starting towards her cabin to sleep. "Ver," he croaked. "Come back?" She smiled at him broadly, nodding. He sighed contentedly, closing his eyes, waiting for her return in anticipation.

She came back as soon as she had changed into pajamas and crawled into bed next to him. She had no intention of losing her virginity that night and neither did he, however, he honestly didn't think he could sleep without her being next to him. She snuggled up to him. "Did he hurt you?" she asked him hesitantly.

"With the exception of torturing me in front of you, no," he replied softly. "But it wasn't exactly the best week of my life, if you know what I mean." She said nothing, but turned to face him and buried her face in her chest. He stroked her auburn hair with one hand, the other moving soothingly up and down her back. He kissed her neck softly, his lips lingering on her skin. His lips brushed her ear as he whispered, "I love you, Verity. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He felt, rather than saw, her mouth curve into a smile. "I love you too, Albus." She lifted her head and kissed him for several long moments on the lips before pulling away, her head resting on his sculpted chest. "Al?" she said, glancing up at him.

"Hmmm?" he said in reply, his green eyes closed in bliss.

"I'm ready."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Don't own. Don't sue, it'll tick me off. Thanks for all the reviews and please keep it up. Enjoy. WARNING: FLUFFY CHAPTER!!! **

Chapter 14

"Are you sure you can keep Verity busy until our date tonight?" Albus anxiously asked his cousin. She sighed impatiently; he had asked her the very same question about twenty times already.

"For the final time, Albus," she said, shoving him out of the door. "I'm sure I can keep her busy until the hot date you two have planned tonight," he blushed at her use of the adjective hot, "I mean, we're girls and it's a spa, for God's sake!"

"Thanks so much, Rose," he said, looking at her gratefully. "I owe you one."

"Just make sure she makes me the Maid of Honor!" she hissed, slitting her eyes dangerously. "Now go!" She pushed him roughly into the hallway, slamming the cabin door shut before he could ask her again. She sighed in relief; he was gone. Now for that spa…

"Adam!" Albus said brightly, finding his friend behind the counter at the shop. "Can you help me, mate?

"Sure thing," he grinned. "What do you need?"

"I need an engagement ring," Al replied meaningfully. Adam chucked, his brown eyes twinkling with laughter.

"Proposing to Ver now, are you?" he inquired. Albus nodded, grinning widely from ear to ear, unable to contain his excitement. "Nice. You take good care of her, mate, eh?"

"'Course, Adam. Wouldn't dream of doing anything but," Albus said. "Can you help me out then?"

"Of course!" Albus said, clapping his hands together. "Let's see what we have."

"Did you get it, bro?" James asked, jumping up as Albus entered the cabin. The girls were still at the spa- it was likely they'd be there nearly all day. Albus nodded nervously, running a hand through his black hair out of habit.

"Oooh, let me see!" Dennis demanded, pushing James out of his way.

"Hey!" James protested, rubbing his chest. "Watch it, I'm tender there."

Dennis raised an eyebrow at him. "Do I even have to tell you what's wrong with what you just said?" He turned his attention back to Albus. "Well?"

Smiling anxiously, Albus popped open the ring box. "And?" he said expectantly. "Will she like it?"

"No," Dennis said, chuckling to himself as Albus' grin faded. "She'll love it."

"If I were a girl," James said, pausing and thinking better of what he had been about to say, "never mind. I'm not even

going to finish that sentence."

"You know," Al said, looking wearily at his older brother, "I worry about you sometimes." He sighed nervously. "You're sure she'll like it."

"Al, don't make me say this again, or I may not be responsible for my actions," Dennis said, his voice dangerously low. "She's going to love it."

"Good," Albus said, grinning at them cheekily. "'Cause I spent three hundred Galleons on it."

"Three hundred bleeding Galleons?" Dennis gasped. "Where the bloody hell did you get all that money from?"

"Unlike you," he replied, staring at his friend icily, "I've been saving my money for something important like this. And… Mum and Dad may have made a small donation…"

James chortled, "How small are we talking here?"

Albus muttered something that sounded like "one hundred".

"Eh, that's not too bad," his brother said, clapping him on the back. "Besides, it's the thought that counts. She'll love it, I'm sure."

"I can't do this!" Albus yelped, pacing up and down between James' and Dennis' beds, pulling at locks of his black hair in frustration. "What if she doesn't say yes?"

"Someone has to do something about this," James muttered to Dennis and Rose.

"Tell me about it," Den groaned. "He's been going on like this for ages."

Sighing, Rose got to her feet, grabbing Albus firmly by the shoulders, shaking him roughly. "Listen to me, Albus Severus Potter!" Fear shone in his green eyes, but she continued nonetheless. "You are going to take Verity out on the best date of her life, you are going to propose to her and give her that _gorgeous _ring, and she is going to say yes! She's in love with you, Albus! She told you she was ready. She's in the shower now, getting ready for the date. You better not disappoint her."

Inhaling a deep breath, he pulled himself together. "Right," he said. "Who's seen my lucky underwear?"

Dennis fell back onto his bed, slapping his forehead. "My sister sure knows how to pick 'em."

"What should I wear? What should I wear?" Verity grumbled to herself, rummaging through her drawers at an alarmingly fast rate. "There," she said, laying her outfit on her bed, looking rather pleased with herself. "That should do the trick."

"What's taking her so long?" Albus asked anxiously, waiting for Verity in the hallway just outside her cabin. He was wearing jeans that were baggy in just the right places, paired with a black top that showed off his sculpted chest. His hair was messier than ever, but he remembered what she had said about loving it that way, so he hadn't bothered. He looked down at his black converses, eagerly awaiting his date.

"Don't worry, Al," James sighed. "I'm sure she'll be out soon. Besides, girls usually take long to get ready for dates." He groaned. "Remind how I got stuck out here waiting with you?"

"You're a good brother," Albus replied, grinning widely at him.

"Oh, that's why," James muttered under his breath. Suddenly, the door to the girls' cabin cracked open and he hastily said, "Well, that's her. Good luck." He burst through the door to the boys' cabin before Albus could hold him back any longer.

Verity finally emerged from the cabin, grinning happily as his jaw dropped to the floor. She was wearing tight, stone-washed jeans, paired with a light blue top that matched her eyes. That wasn't it, though- her top clung to her every curve so tantalizingly that he was sure it was inhumane. Her long red hair was tied into a high ponytail, bouncing with every step she took towards him. Speaking of which… "Shall we go, then?" she whispered in his ear, her breath washing over him like a perfume.

"We shall," he managed to say in reply, grasping her hand tightly. She smiled, leaning into him. Did she have any idea the effect she had on him? He sighed, hoping he could make it through tonight.

They were at the front of the ship, watching the ocean rush by in peaceful silence and clarity. He knew it: this was the perfect moment. He fumbled around in his pocket for a bit, before his fingers finally closed over the ring box. "Verity," he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Hmmm?" she said, giggling in delight.

"You know I love you right? And that I want to spend the rest of my life with you?" he asked, nibbling on her ear as he awaited her response.

She moaned in pleasure before replying, "Yes and yes. And I, you."

Slowly, he released his hold on her, getting down on one knee in front of her. She had a sudden flashback to just after their fourth year at Hogwarts, when he had given her the promise ring she was fingering at this very moment. She bit her lip, confident that she knew what was going on. "Verity Elizabeth Prince-Pierce," he said, his voice low and husky as he took in the sight of her, "will you marry me?" The ring was amazing: the stone was the exact same color of her eyes, so alive that it was almost like he was offering her a piece of his soul.

Her hands fisted in his black shirt, pulling him up. Her nose was pressed against his, her lips so close… tempting. "Albus," she moaned, her hands pressing against his chest, "I wouldn't have it any other way."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Still don't own Harry… Thanks for all the reviews. This chapter is shaping up to be pretty fluffy too, but don't worry… they will defeat Tyson. Enjoy! **

Chapter 15

She pressed her lips to his briefly, her lips curving into a smile as she pulled away. Grinning broadly, he gently slipped the promise ring off of her ring finger, moving it to her middle finger. He proceeded to slide the engagement ring onto her finger as she gaped at it. "Al," she asked, her sweet breath washing over him, "how much did that cost?"

"It'd doesn't matter, Ver," he said softly, kissing the corner of her mouth. She shook her head.

"Yes, it does," she persisted. "How much?"

"Three hundred Galleons," he muttered, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. She gasped.

"Albus, no! That's too much," she said, fumbling with the ring as if to give it back to him and make him give her a cheaper one.

"No," he said, firmly, pressing it against her finger. "You're too valuable to put a price on, Ver." She smiled sweetly at him. He pressed his lips to hers hungrily. Finally! They would be married, and she would be all his. His mind was snapped back to the present moment and her mouth on his as she slammed him rather roughly against a wall, his head cracking against the surface quite painfully. One of his hands entangled itself in her fiery red hair, the other grabbing her waist. His tongue sought entrance into her mouth, which she granted almost instantly. His taste clouded her senses as her knees gave out and she slumped against him, her arms clinging to his neck for dear life. He tore his lips from her mouth and trailed kisses down her neck.

"Albus," she hissed, so he immediately reattached his lips to hers. He felt her fingers leave his neck and move to his jet black hair. She finally broke off this kiss, breathless and panting, her rose lips red and swollen. She buried her face in his neck, breathing in his woody scent, pine mixed with the smell of a broomstick handle. His arms remained locked around her, his skin burning with pleasure where he touched her flesh.

"Verity," he panted softly in her ear. "Why did you wear that top? To torture me?" He was referring to the blue top she was wearing, the one that clung to her so tightly, flaunting every womanly curve of her body. He reached just under it, his hand resting against her warm stomach. She shivered in delight.

"Maybe," she whispered softly, still gasping for breath.

"That's inhumane," he replied, nibbling on her earlobe. "But I like it." He felt her mouth curve into a wide smile against her skin. She pressed a soft kiss to the crook of his neck as his grip tightened on her.

"Shall we go back to the cabin now?" she asked reluctantly. All she wanted was to stay like this with him forever, just the two of them; she knew he wanted it too.

"I suppose," he sighed, sounding remorseful. "If we don't go back soon, they may think we've gone overboard."

"So?" James asked expectantly as Albus and Verity walked into the cabin, still grasping each other's hands. Verity smiled, winking at Albus.

"Oh, we had a great time," she sighed, happily, leaning against him. "Good food, amazing kissing…" Albus blushed furiously.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Rose yelped, jumping to her feet. "Did you say yes or what?"

Giggling madly, Verity released Albus' hand so she could wave her left hand at them, showing off the engagement ring. Rose squealed, hugging Verity as they jumped up and down, giggling delightedly. Dennis and James congratulated the two of them in turn, grinning broadly at the both of them. "So," James said, wiggling his eyebrows at his little brother, "when's the wedding?"

Verity and Albus looked at each other and shrugged. "Let's get off this ship, all of us alive, first, eh?" Al said.

"Rose. Would you like to be the Maid of Honor?" Ver said.

"Yes!" she screamed, hugging her friend ecstatically yet again. "It's a good thing you asked, too; I'd have to hurt Albus if you hadn't."

That night, Verity found her twin out on the balcony, his eyes closed in deep thought. "Dennis?" she said softly, stepping out into the fresh air.

"Hey," he said, still not looking at her. He'd recognize her voice anywhere. She sat next to him, hugging him. "Congratulations, sis. You're going to be Mrs. Potter soon." She liked how it sounded.

"Thanks," she said, smiling warmly at her brother. "You've always been there for me and Albus and you've always supported our relationship."

"I gave him my blessing, you know," he said, finally meeting her eye and grinning.

"Oh, Dennis," she sighed, happily, a few joyful tears leaking out of her eyes. "That means the world to me."

He patted her back in a brotherly way, saying, "Glad I could be of service then." She wiped away her last joyful tear, flashing her twin a watery smile.

"So," she said, clearing her throat, "have you made a decision about Rose yet?"

He buried his head in his hands. "I still dunno, sis," he groaned. "I really, really like her… but I don't know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her," he said.

"Oh, Dennis," she said softly. It was her turn to comfort him. "You'll figure it out. Eventually."

"Thanks," he said. "I'm going to go to sleep."

"Yeah, me too," she said, hugging him as they stood up and kissing his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too, sis."

Verity crawled into the bed next to Albus, snuggling up to him. He had already fallen asleep, his bare chest slowly rising and falling with each breath he took. She took comfort in watching him breathe. Smiling softly, she kissed his cheek before closing her own eyes, thanking God for this day. It had been one of the best days of her life…

Verity woke from a nightmare, screaming, "Let go of me!" She pushed Al's arms away from her as she jumped out of bed.

"Verity?" he asked groggily. "What's wrong?" She was drenched in a cold sweat, still shaking slightly.

"Bad dream, that's all," she said, crawling back into the bed. "Sorry. I thought you were… someone else."

"Oh," he said simply, pulling her to him again. "I thought I had scared you or something."

"No," she replied, giggling a bit as his hands ran up and down her ticklish sides. She sat up in the bed suddenly as a thought struck her.

"Ver?" he said, sitting up and stretching lazily. "What?"

"I just had a weird thought," she said. "Why did Grimmer kill Mr. Timmers?"


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Still don't own Harry… (sighs wistfully). Thanks for all the reviews, and please keep it up. Enjoy! And I apologize in advance for who gets attacked, but this is the only person out of the five of them who hasn't been kidnapped or attacked. Sorry!**

Chapter 16

"Hmmm… we never though of that before, Ver," Rose said thoughtfully, twirling a strand of her fiery red hair around her finger. "Why did Grimmer kill Mr. Timmers?"

James sniggered. "That rhymes," he said in response to their strange looks.

"I pray for you," Verity told him sadly, shaking her head. "But he's got to have a reason. I know he's an evil, cold-hearted bitch lacking balls, but he wouldn't do something like that for no reason. That blew his cover, that did."

"Ver's right," Albus said, thoughtfully, pulling her onto his lap. "Well, we'll figure it out eventually. We always do, don't we?"

Dennis smiled cheekily at him. "Right you are, Al. Don't worry. I'm sure next time Grimmer kidnaps one of us we can have a lovely conversation about his crimes, eh?" He succeeded in getting chuckles from the others. "If we're lucky, we can even discuss the lovely weather we've been blessed with." They laughed harder. "Or we can talk about Quidditch!"

"So when's the wedding?" James questioned, stuffing his face with chicken at dinner that night.

Albus laughed at his older brother. "Stop bugging us about it, James. We don't want to set anything in stone until after this vacation, eh? Which is half over, if you think about it. We've been on this ship for six bloody weeks," he said.

"Yeah, spending most of our time running in between Grimmer and the infirmary," Dennis grumbled. "Did you know we're actually on first-name terms with the nurse now? Dotti's a sweet woman."

"Really?" James chucked. "Why don't you date her then?" Dennis, Verity, Albus, and James laughed, but Rose merely had a wounded expression on her face. Upon seeing it, James realized how out of line he must've sounded. "Oh, Rose, I'm sorry," he said hastily, a guilty expression spreading across his face. "I didn't mean it like that."

She tried to smile but failed miserably. "It's all right, James. I know you didn't," she said softly. She smiled at the others as well, but they all still felt guilty.

"Again, I'm sorry," James said, pleading with her, his chocolate eyes full of remorse.

"It's fine, James," she said. She looked at the others. "It's okay that you laughed, too. It was rather funny." She forced herself to laugh mirthlessly. James, Albus, and Verity exchanged worried looks, but said nothing. James nodded briefly at them, signaling that he'd talk to Rose that night.

As they left the Diamond Dining Room, Rose trailed behind, James following her intentionally. "Hey, Rose?" he said, putting a friendly hand on her shoulder. She turned her face him, fighting to keep tears from spilling from her eyes. She flashed him a watery smile, despite all that.

"What's up, James?" she asked as he fell into step with her. They could hear Dennis, Albus, and Verity laughing a few feet ahead of them, but Verity glanced back at them, biting her lip nervously.

"We're worried about you," James told her softly. "What was that at dinner?"

She shrugged. "It's okay, James; you've already apologized. I know you didn't mean it like that. I'm just kind of sensitive with that stuff," she said.

"But why?" he insisted. "If I had used that on Albus instead of Den, Ver would've laughed. Why are you sensitive about it? Is there something you need to talk about?"

"Yes, actually," she said, sucking in a deep breath. "I'll owl you later."

"Great," he grinned. He nodded his head towards the other three ahead of him, saying, "We'd better catch up to them or they'll think we've gotten ourselves lost. Or kidnapped." She laughed as they set off at a jog towards their friends, not noticing the black eyes in the shadows that glittered in malicious victory.

"So you talked to her then?" Al asked eagerly. He, James, and Verity were sitting in the girls' cabin, taking advantage of Rose's and Dennis' absences to talk freely.

"Not yet," James replied, running a hand through his hair, "she's going to owl me later so we can meet to talk about it. She seems really off." Suddenly, an owl flew through the door. "That must be her." He read the letter quickly.

"What does she say?" Verity asked, cocking her head at him curiously.

"She wants me to meet her in the Opal Dining Room… but isn't that closed at night?" he asked.

"Yeah, but she probably wants it that way," Albus pointed out.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he said uncertainly, standing to leave. "Catch you later."

"Bye," chorused Albus and Verity. Verity had a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach but she tried to ignored and failed brilliantly.

"I don't like this," she said quietly to Albus. "I don't like this at all."

James entered the otherwise empty Opal Dining Room, calling softly, "Rose? Rosie! It's me, James." Silence greeted him until.

"You're mine now, Potter!" Then James' world went black.

"Grimmer, I dunno what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" James spat at Grimmer. He was holding James in an empty cabin. "Don't you think they're going to find you?"

"That's what I want. It's my trap," Grimmer spat.

"Then they won't come! They'll know better!" James snarled, knowing as he said them that his words were a lie. They'd come after him for sure.

"They'll come, Potter," Grimmer said.

"Oh yeah?" he said, trying to sound cocky. "What makes you so sure?"

"You hold them together, Potter. Without you, they'd fall apart," he sneered. James shook his head, laughing as though the idea was ridiculous, but his heart fell. He knew Grimmer was right. "And when I kill you, they'll be so distraught that the Pierce twins will finally agree to work for me. And then I kill your useless brother and your useless cousin."

Rose burst through the door, looking anxious. "Where's James? He didn't meet me like he said he would! I even owled him three times!" she said, looking frazzled. "I told him to meet me in the library."

"No you didn't," Verity said suddenly, her head snapping up. "He got an owl saying to meet you in the Opal Dining Room."

Rose shook her head furiously. "I clearly said library." Verity got up, looking anxious and Albus and Dennis attempted to calm Rose. She looked out the window.

"He's been kidnapped," she said softly, her voice wrought with sorrow.

"What makes you so sure?" Dennis asked, coming up behind her.

"That," she said, pointing at the jeweled words in the sky. Rose and Albus came to stand behind the twins, gasping at the sight.

The letters glowed the same sick green as the Dark Mark, glittering like cursed gems in the pitch black night. They spelled out a message. People all over the ship gaped up at the sky, awed and frightened by what they saw. For the letters in the sky spelled out : COME AND GET HIM!


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: When are you all going to get it through your thick heads? I DON'T OWN IT!! NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL! Sorry, about that, I just hate doing disclaimers at the beginning of every freaking chapter. Please keep reading and reviewing! Enjoy. **

Chapter 17

"How are we going to find him?" Rose asked anxiously, chewing on a lock of flaming red hair in her mouth.

"Reconnaissance," Dennis said suddenly. "We search the ship in our animal forms, using our Patrouses as means of communication."

"That's brilliant, bro!" Ver said, throwing her arms around her twin in a tight hug. "Let's go."

Albus was following his hunch and found himself on the thirteenth deck. He walked, or rather, galloped along, shaking his mane back and forth. He suddenly heard a strange noise coming from cabin 1300. Quickly transforming back into a human, he quietly pressed his ear against the door and hear his brother's voice. His heart leapt as he grabbed his wand and muttered, "_Expecto Patronum!_" His silver mustang went galloping off to Rose, Dennis, and Verity with the message of his location and his discovery. Suddenly, Verity almost ran into him, transforming into a human as she sprinted down the hall.

"I got your Patronus," she said, gasping for breath. "You sure he's in here?"

Albus nodded. "Listen." He gently pressed her ear against the door, watching as her blue eyes widened with realization when she heard James' voice. "I don't know about you, but this time, I'm ready to kill."

Dennis arrived a mere five minutes later, but they were waiting for nearly half an hour for Rose to show before they gave up. "She'll find us," Dennis said, trying to sound confident and reassured, but failing with flying colors. They decided to go in without her.

"What are you going to do to them?" James whispered.

Grimmer turned his horrible black eyes towards him, grinning evilly. "Haven't we been through this before? Or do you enjoy relishing in future victory as much as I do?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Grimmer," he muttered back angrily.

"I'm going to kill you, your good-for-nothing brother, and your cousin. Meanwhile, your twin friends are going to work for me, whether they like it or not," he replied nastily. "Maybe I'll even take Verity for myself, if you know what I mean."

"You'll do no such thing!" a voice roared. Dennis, Verity, and Albus chose that moment to burst through the door, wands held at the ready. Albus screamed, "_Expelliarmus!_" The wand Grimmer had held in his hands just seconds ago (Verity had broken his first one when he had kidnapped her), flew out of his hands and landed neatly on the floor. Dennis summoned it, quickly snapping it in two. Albus was still steaming from Grimmer's comment about Verity. "You're never going to touch her!"

Grimmer smirked. "Want to bet?" he charged at Verity. She completely forgot about the wand she was holding in her hands, and snapped out a quick defensive side kick and made contact with his abdomen. Grimmer went flying backwards and crashed hard into the closet, his head cracking against the wood.

"Nice kick, sis," Dennis said appreciatively, starting to untie James. She nodded her thanks, looking carefully at Grimmer. He was slumped down on the ground, still conscious, but extremely weak. She slowly approached him, as if considering her options. Suddenly, she swung her foot out and kicked him in the groin, watching as he double over in extreme pain.

"That's for me," she said. Her fist flew and broke his nose with a crack, blood gushing out at an alarming rate. "That's for Rose." She took his arm and elbowed it so that his elbow hyper-extended. "That's for Dennis." She performed an expert ear clap, leaving Grimmer cringing in pain. "That's for James." She bit her lip, pondering what to do next. Thinking quickly, she transfigured a coin in her pocket into a knife and held it over right hand middle finger. "This is for Albus." With a single swipe, she cut it off as he howled, blood gushing all over the floor.

"Please, please stop," he begged, looking pathetic.

She ignored him, instead demanded, "Why did you kill Mr. Timmers?"

"He wasn't Mr. Timmers," Grimmer groaned. "That was an alias."

"Well then, who the bloody hell was he?" James demanded, feeling better that he was no longer tied up. Dennis looked anxiously back at the door, hoping Rose would arrive sometime soon.

Grimmer's mouth twisted into a sick sort of grin. "Draco Malfoy." In a second, Verity hands were on his throat closing in tightly.

"You liar!" she roared, still in denial.

"No!" he choked out, his eyes going wide. She loosened her death grip on him as he said, "He knew what I was planning and he was here to protect. I meant to kidnap you the first chance I got, but he stood in the way. So I had to kill him."

"No, no, no!" Verity said, her grip weakening as a few tears leaked out of her blue eyes. Taking advantage of her weakness, Grimmer grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her down on the floor.

"I had my heart set on you and your brother working for me," he said, holding the knife that she had used to cut off his finger to her throat, "but you're more trouble than it's worth." Albus rushed forward but was thrown to the ground when Rose burst through the cabin.

"NOT MY FAMILY!" she shrieked, waving her wand wildly. Grimmer looked shocked as her curse hit him squarely on the chest and he fell back onto the floor. Dead.

"He's dead," Dennis said quietly. Albus was gathering Verity into his arms, clinging to her tightly.

"I didn't know you could be that violent, Verity," he whispered in her ear. She smiled through her tears, still mourning Malfoy's death.

"I guess those martial arts classes paid off, huh?"

Rose found James out on the balcony that night, avoiding the annoying security officers who had been sent by the cruise line to interview them about the attack. She threw her arms around him, startling him. Nevertheless, he hugged her back. "I'm so glad you're okay, James," she said, smiling at him broadly.

"Yeah, me too," he said, laughing hollowly. "Am I really that important to you guys? I sometimes feel like I'm a fifth wheel or something."

"Of course you're not a fifth wheel, James!" she gasped. "We all love you. Dennis, Ver, Albus, and I would fall apart without you."

"That's what Grimmer said," he replied, running a hand anxiously through his hair. "I guess he was right." He cracked a grin at her. "I'm glad you all are my best friends." She smiled back broadly. "By the way, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Her smile faltered. "Dennis," she said softly. "I wanted to say that… I'm going to break up with him."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Don't sue, it's not nice. Thanks for all the reviews and please keep 'em coming! Enjoy. **

Chapter 18

As much as James tried to talk her out of it, Rose insisted on breaking up with Dennis. "If we've been together since we were fourteen and he still can't say 'I love you' I see no reason to continue to be with him. Besides, I don't think he's the guy I want to spend the rest of my life with anyway… at this point in my life, there's no point in dating if I can't even see the possibility of marry him," she explained. James sighed in defeat.

"Well, good luck," he said. "Good night."

"Night," she chirped back. She sighed, figuring now was as good a time as any. She poked her head in the boys' cabin, softly whispering, "Dennis?"

James saw the look on her face and grimaced, saying, "Dennis, mate? Rose's calling."

Dennis hauled himself off of his bed, making his was groggily towards her. "M-maybe we should talk tomorrow," she said hastily as he yawned, "when you're conscious."

"No, it's fine, Rosie," he insisted, following her out onto the balcony. "What's up?"

"We need to talk," she said sadly. "Dennis… we've been dating since we were fourteen, right?"

"Right," he nodded, unsure of whether he liked where this was going or not. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you would think that after that amount of time, you'd be able to say that you love me," she said, a few tears coming into her eyes. She forced them back furiously, not wanting to cry because **she** was the one breaking up with **him**! "Dennis, I can't see myself spending the rest of my life with you."

"What are you saying?" he asked softly, getting the feeling that he knew what was coming next.

"I want, no… we need to break up, Dennis. I'm sorry," she said, finally looking up at him.

"Me too," he said. "I'm sorry it had to end this way, but I think it's for the best. Do you think we can still be friends?"

"Of course," she said. "I'd hate to lose you as a friend, Den. No hard feelings? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," he nodded. "I saw this coming, Rose; I feel the same way."

"I'm glad we're cool," she grinned, feeling relieved, but also a bit sad. She hated to see their relationship come to an end, even if it was necessary. "You are a bit sad… aren't you?"

He laughed, hugged her in a friendly manner. "'Course I'm a bit sad, Rosie. But it's for the best."

Verity woke the next morning to find Albus kissing her cheek softly, stroking her hair lovingly. "Morning, beautiful," he grinned. She kissed him briefly.

"I'm sure I'm anything but beautiful when I first wake up," she giggled.

"You** are** beautiful," he insisted. "At least to me. Especially when you first wake up."

"Oh yeah?" she asked, smiling at him. "And why is that?"

"Because you look so peaceful… and because I know you spent the night in my arms," he replied, blushing furiously. "Do you remember in fourth year, the first time we slept together?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "Dennis had a right fit; he thought we'd done something."

"He was furious," he said, chuckling at the memory. "At first, you were kind of sheepish, but then you snapped out of it and told him off for not believing us."

"Good times, good times," she sighed wistfully, remembering the days when they were younger. She missed those days, yes, but she also knew, as she glanced down at her glittering engagement ring, that she had a lot to look forward to in the future.

News of Dennis' and Rose's split reached them all during breakfast. "And you're both okay with this?" Verity clarified, wanting to make absolutely sure that her twin and her best girl friend were okay.

"It's for the best," Dennis said.

"We are both a bit sad, of course, but it's better than being together if our hearts weren't it," Rose agreed.

"Well, it's good to see you two worked it out," Al said, spooning oatmeal into his mouth. "And that there's no enmity between the two of you. That'd be unbearable."

"This is turning out to be a pretty interesting vacation, huh?" James smirked at them.

"Sure is," Ver said, grinning wickedly at him, "but there's still one thing that needs to be taken care of."

"What?" James asked, the smirk gone, replaced by a look of utter confusion.

Verity's eyes twinkled mischievously as she said, "We need to get you a girl."

"Bloody hell!" James cried. "There's no way I'm interviewing random girls who want to date me!"

"James, we're not asking you to propose to anyone," Al explained, starting to lose his patience with his elder brother. "Just meet some girls. Get to know them. You need to meet a girl who's not your cousin or your little brother's fiancée!" Albus sighed, adding, "Besides, do you want to be dateless for the big ball on the last night?"

"No," James mumbled, looking defeated.

He then mumbled something under his breath, to which Albus snapped, "No, you're not taking Verity to the ball!"

"Well, what about Rose and Dennis? They just broke up and I bet they don't have dates," he said, looking smug.

"Wrong, James," Verity said, paging through a magazine. "Dennis is going with some girl named Lindsay and Rose is going with a bloke named Alex."

"You've got to be shitting me!" James gasped. "Why am I the only one without a date?"

"Because you never seem to have the guts to ask a girl out," Albus said. "Look, you need to go from a dateless man to a ladies' man."

"Oh, bloody hell, James!" Verity exclaimed, closing her magazine and jumping to her feet. "Just talk to girls, we don't bite! Usually." James snorted doubtfully. Verity's face and voice softened as she said, "Look, James. I know Susan broke your heart, but don't you think it's about time to move on?"

He sucked in a deep breath, considering her words carefully. "You're right, Verity," he said finally. "Let's do this thing."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Don't sue 'cause I don't own. Review please, I'll give you a cookie! Just kidding, but please do review. Enjoy!**

Chapter 19

"Verity…!" Albus whined, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She rolled her blue eyes at him, smiling nonetheless.

"Yes, Albus?" she asked patronizingly.

"Please?" he begged, flashing her his famous puppy dog eyes. He knew she couldn't resist that look; her knees trembled with longing.

"What?" she asked, her voice softening, her fingers trailing down his cheek. He inhaled a deep breath.

"You haven't been yourself lately," he whispered in her ear, resisting the temptation to nibble on it.

"What do you mean?" she asked sharply, wheeling around to face him. His arms were still wrapped around her waist, keeping her body molded to his.

"Ever since Rose killed Grimmer… you haven't been yourself. You've been keeping yourself busy with finding a date for James and you haven't been… you haven't been normal," he said, finishing with a deep sigh.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I suppose you're right," she mumbled. "I haven't been myself. I guess Mr. Malfoy's death affects me more than I let on."

"Verity," he mumbled into her hair, stroking it with a free hand. "You can always be yourself with me." He pressed a soft kiss into her sweet-smelling hair, trying desperately to reassure her. A few tears slid from her eyes, spilling onto his neck. His grip on her tightened, his knuckles turning white. She lifted her head, her watery blue eyes meeting his emerald green ones.

"Albus, I'm so sorry," she whispered, her face turning bright red, now rivaling her hair. She made to turn away, but his hands reclaimed her waist, spinning her around to face him again.

"For what, love?" he asked softly, fighting back tears of his own.

"For not being truthful with you. For keeping all this emotion bottled up. For not being myself with you. For torturing you even more than you have been lately," she replied quietly, referring to the fact that she'd barely kissed him since Grimmer's death.

"Don't be, Ver," he said, pressing her head into his chest. "I know it's got to be hard for you." She lifted her head, pressing her lips to his. He hesitated, not wanting to force her to snog if she didn't feel like it, but she kissed him more urgently, her hands grabbing the back of his neck. Soon, their tongues were dancing in sync, her taste too much and not enough all at once. Again, his grip on her tightened; he never wanted to let her go. He felt her long nails digging into his neck rather painfully and he gasped. She realized that she was causing him pain and loosened her grip a bit. She was his drug of choice; he never could seem to get quite enough of her. Her hands reached under his shirt, feeling his well-defined muscles, which shivered at her touch. She moaned as he tore his lips from hers, trailing kisses down her neck. He pressed her up against the wall, sliding a knee in between hers so that she was straddling his thigh. She arched her back, closing the gap between them. "Verity," he said in between kisses, "we don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"Albus," she hissed, forcing him to look her in the eye for a moment. "I want to do this." Adrenaline pumped into his system as he fastened his lips to hers yet again. She pulled away for a moment, mumbling against his lips, "God, Albus- I love you. I can't wait to marry you." She pressed her lips to his again, her hands running through his hair.

"God, I love you too, Verity," he replied, pulling away, breathless and swollen lipped. He gestured towards the nearest bed, pulling her down onto it. She snuggled against him, her head resting on his shoulder. His strong arms wrapped around her tightly. He nibbled on her ear contentedly. He felt a tightening in his lower regions but ignored it as best as he could, moaning, "I can't wait 'til we get married."

"Neither can I," she groaned, looking up at him longingly. "When is that again?"

He shrugged. "We never set a date, Ver," he sighed, "I'm afraid we've been too busy trying to save the world and such. You know, normal stuff."

She laughed hollowly. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she said. "How about… October? You know your parents and grandparents will want to help plan it and we don't get off this ship until August."

"Sounds great. What day, though? Halloween?" he asked, grinning down at her.

"Sure," she chirped. "Halloween would be a great day. We can go to your parents' house as soon as we get off this bloody ship."

"That's fine, Ver…" he said softly, his voice trailing off, "but there is actually one place I'd like to go before I go to my mum and dad's house."

"Where's that, Al?" she asked, her blue eyes looking up at him questioningly.

"Godric's Hollow," he replied softly. "I'd kind of like to visit my grandparents' graves. I've never been before, Ver, and it's… it's important to me."

"I get it, Albus," she whispered softly, her lips brushing against his cheek. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Yeah," he nodded, his voice low and husky. "I'd love that."

"This isn't going to work, Verity," James whispered worriedly in her ear.

"Yes it is," she hissed back, her hand clamped over the microphone so their conversation wasn't projected to the whole audience in the room. "Now shut up and look handsome, like your brother."

"You're in love, you know that?" he hissed in reply through a smile.

"Duh," she said, "I'm marrying him." She moved her hand from the microphone saying, "Thanks for coming ladies. Here he is, James Potter! Let the games begin."

"I can't believe you actually got girls to go through Olympics just to win a date with James, sis," Dennis chuckled.

"James is a very likeable guy for girls who aren't already in love," Ver shrugged. "He's fit, sweet, courteous, brilliant… he's just kind of shy."

"Yeah, well… I'm even more surprised that it worked," Dennis said.

"Hey, Dennis?" Verity said, looking up at her twin suddenly.

"Hmmm?" he said, meeting her gaze with his matching blue eyes.

"Would you mind sharing the position of Best Man at the wedding?" she asked tentatively, not thinking that she could ever decided between Dennis, her real brother, and James, who was as good as her brother.

He grinned widely at her. "Not at all, Verity. Not at all."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Still don't own… Thanks for all the reviews and I will consider doing a sequel, if you want. But it won't be updated as often because I start school on Monday. Enjoy and read and review. Oh, and in your review please tell me if you would like a sequel or not. The sequel would most likely be based on the wedding! Let me know. Cheers. This particular chapter is dedicated to my best friend who's also a dedicated reader. I hope you make friends in your new school! **

Chapter 20

"Albus is going to drop dead when he sees you," Dennis said, appraising his sister's outfit for the ball.

"Correction, Dennis," Rose said, grinning wickedly at her work. "He's going to drop dead, bring himself back, and then drop dead again. You are absolutely bloody gorgeous, Ver."

Verity grinned, blushing. She was wearing a little black dress number. It was strapless and low cut, bordering on too low, but only just. There was a small triangular opening right at the small of her back. The dress ended a full three inches above her knee, the slits on each side nearly reaching her hips. Her matching black pumps gave her an extra three inches. Rose had curled her normally straight hair so that it cascaded down her back in a wave of curls. "You're beautiful, sis," Dennis said.

"Thanks, bro," she smiled.

"You know," he chuckled, "I can't believe he's actually going to make it to your wedding."

"What do you mean?" Verity asked sharply, her head snapping up, sending her red curls flying.

"Well, I always kind of thought that he'd break down and not be able to resist sleeping with you before your wedding," Dennis admitted, "but he's made it, Verity. All thanks to you. You always bring out the best in him."

"James, will you relax?" Verity said, frustrated. Albus had yet to see her since she had changed for the ball. She was helping James get ready for his date with Eliza, the girl who had won the "Olympics". "And stop mucking about with your hair; it looks better all messed up." She ran her hands through his hair, which he had been desperately trying to flatten for the past ten minutes.

"Ver, I don't know about this anymore," he said nervously. "Eliza's hot and smart… this isn't going to work."

"James," she said, fixing his tie, "you're not looking for a girl to marry. You're looking to put yourself back out on the market. Now let me work my magic."

Verity and Rose met Dennis, Albus, and James in the ballroom. Eliza had already met up with James and was hanging all over him. "Verity," Albus breathed, looking close to either passing out or jumping her, "you look beautiful. And by that, I mean more so than usual."

"You're too sweet, Al," she blushed, linking her arm in his. "You look really great yourself."

"Now that you two are done gushing over each other and being all fluffy," Dennis said, flashing a strained glance at the two of them, "let's get going to this ball, shall we?"

Albus held Verity close to him, her body conforming to his own. His hands rested on her waist, her arms linked around his neck. They swayed slowly to the music, her face buried in the crook of his neck. "Verity," he said softly. She lifted her head to him, smiling. "You're the girl for me. And not just because of the prophecy that Trelawny made."

She smiled. "I remember our first kiss. Under the mistletoe," she said, reminiscing about their fourth year at Hogwarts.

"Yeah," he sighed wistfully, "then it was interrupted because of the Dark Mark."

She shot him a glance, saying, "I try not to think about that part, Albus."

"Oh," he blushed, "right." She winced a bit before resuming her grin. "What's wrong?"

"Truthfully," she said, "my feet are killing me. These shoes aren't exactly what you'd call comfortable."

He grinned down at her, saying, "You want to take a break?" She nodded enthusiastically, so he led her over towards a table.

Out of nowhere a voice suddenly squealed, "Verity?!" She whipped her head around to find herself face to face with a girl with bright red hair and stunning gray eyes.

"Annemarie?" Verity gasped, throwing herself at the girl. Albus looked on, confused and bemused, as the two girls hugged each other ecstatically, jumping up and down. Verity finally pulled away from the girl, turning back to Albus. "Albus, this is my cousin Annemarie. Annemarie, this is my fiancé, Albus Potter."

"Nice to meet you, Annemarie," Albus said, shaking her hand politely.

"Same here," Annemarie said, her gray eyes twinkling jovially. "Verity's told me so much about you. In fact, she usually won't shut up once she gets started." Verity blushed deeply, but smiled all the same.

"I had no idea you were on the ship, Eerie," she said, hugging her cousin again.

"Me neither! If I had known, I'd have hunted you down a long time ago," Annemarie replied, smiling at her.

James suddenly scurried over to them, looking paranoid. "Is she following me?" he squeaked.

"What are you talking about, James?" Albus asked, laughing at his older brother.

"Eliza," he said. "She's all over me; it's very disturbing. She tried to shove her tongue down my bloody throat!"

"Oh, sorry it's not working out, James," Verity said. She brightened, adding, "This is my cousin, Annemarie." James gaped at her, as if he had been rendered speechless. "Annemarie, this is Albus' brother James."

"Nice to meet you, James," Annemarie said, extending her hand for him to shake. He took it, shaking it up and down vigorously.

"Charmed, I'm sure," he said, blushing faintly, still shaking her hand eagerly.

"Uh… James?" she said. "Can I have my hand back?"

"Sure," he muttered, blushing as he released her hand. "So, you're Ver's cousin? On which side?"

"Her father's side," Annemarie said, smiling at him.

"Oh, so you're not related to Snape then, are you?" James asked.

"Related to Snape?" she questioned, raising a red eyebrow at Verity.

"Long story, I'll tell you later," Ver said. "Oi, Dennis!"

Dennis turned away from his date, sighing, and headed over to them. He spotted Annemarie and hugged her happily. "I haven't seen you in ages, Eerie! How's your brother?"

"He's fine, Den," Annemarie laughed. "You guys haven't been to America since we were all twelve."

"We've sort of been busy with Albus and James and Rose," Dennis said, gesturing towards the Potter brothers. "Sorry."

"That's okay, I hate you anyway," Annemarie said.

"I said I was sorry!" Dennis exclaimed.

"Dennis, that was sarcasm," Annemarie explained, laughing along with Verity. Without warning, a chocolate feathered owl shot into the room, dropping a letter from its beak onto Albus' head.

"Ow," he muttered, retrieving it from the floor and tearing it open. He read the letter, his green eyes growing wide and filling with tears.

"Albus," Verity said softly, breaking away from Annemarie and heading towards him, "Albus, what is it? What's wrong?"

"Ver," he croaked, tears spilling from his eyes as he handed the letter to James, "my grandfather died."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Don't own. Sorry I've taken so long, but I started high school yesterday (yay me!) so I won't be posting as often. I'm so, so, so sorry. Read and review please. Enjoy. Oh, and I'm sorry about killing off a character. The quotes were taken from "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins and "Finding Nemo" by Disney and Pixar. And I almost cried writing this chapter, because Annemarie is based off of my best friend who's going to a different high school. :, ( By the way, please tell what you think about the character.**

Chapter 21

Arthur Weasley's funeral went by in a blur of tears and motion for them. Annemarie kindly agreed to come along for moral support for her cousins and their friends. She felt slightly out of place among all the Weasleys and Potters, but James went out of his way to make her feel as at home as possible. Rose clung to Dennis, more out of habit than anything else as they both shed their tears, comforting each other as good friends would.

Albus could remembering almost nothing save the sight of his grandfather's corpse in his casket and Verity clinging to him like water on a wet dog. Arthur had died of completely natural causes, as he was getting quite on in years. Albus could feel Verity's arms wrapped around him tightly as she refused to leave him, tears streaming down her face and staining his suit. He didn't care; he felt hot tears pouring down his own face. He remembered her holding her to him desperately, not ever wanting to let go of her. Strands of her red hair ended up in the most unusual places: his mouth, his nose, his eyes… but he didn't mind one bit, as long as she was with him. He heard not a word of the eulogy, delivered by some tottery old wizard who claimed to have met Arthur in his first year at Hogwarts. It was all shit to Albus. His grandfather was much more than the wizard let on. He had been extraordinary. No one could compare to him; his love of Muggles, his bravery and courage, and his love for his family set him high above all others. That was what they would remember about him: not the time he burst a slug in the middle of Herbology class.

At the reception Albus and James sat at the family table, nibbling at their food so their parents wouldn't pester them. Suddenly, Albus felt a warm hand on his and Verity whispered in his ear, "Come on."

"Why are we here?" James asked sullenly as they found themselves in the old Pierce home where the twins had lived when their parents had been alive.

"We needed to take you away from there," Dennis said simply. "And we needed to get away as well. It's so depressing thinking of your grandfather as dead."

"Don't remind me," Rose moaned, slumping onto the floor.

"We basically wanted to tell you this," Verity told them. "Yes, your grandfather is dead, and I know I speak for all of us here when I say that we'll miss him desperately." Tears sparkled in her stunning blue eyes as she struggled with her words, finally choking out, "But he'll always be with us. And he'd want us to keep living our lives." Her tears now overflowing, she sat herself on Albus' lap and his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly to him. "Basically… let's just start over again."

Annemarie and Verity sat in Verity's old room; they had decided to spend the night in the old Pierce home. "You and Albus are…" Annemarie started, searching for a word to complete her thought.

"Obnoxious?" Verity asked, looking a bit lost.

"No," Annemarie shook her head, "so… perfect. Like, not perfect, but as close as possible. He's the guy for you, Ver. I know you well enough to know that." Verity smiled at her cousin.

"James likes you, you know," she told her with a grin. "I can tell."

"Well, that was sort of obvious," Annemarie sighed, a piece of her red hair flying up in the air as she did. "I mean, he's sweet enough and he seems to be a good guy, but you can't base love off of a two-day relationship, you know?" Verity nodded, so Annemarie added, "But I think I could grow to love him, with time and getting to know him."

"It's kind of scary," Verity said finally after several long moments of a comfortable silence.

"What is?" Annemarie asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"How much I need him," Ver whispered, looking a bit scared indeed. "It's just… I need Albus so much. If he died, I really don't know what I'd do; I'd probably die of heartbreak. He's my world, Annemarie."

Annemarie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, look at it this way- Albus obviously worships the ground you walk on and he obviously needs you just as much as you need him, Ver. So it's balanced. That's just the way life works."

"God, I've missed you so much, Annemarie. I just didn't realize it until now," Ver smiled. "Do you remember all our inside jokes?"

Annemarie scoffed, "Of course. 'Would you like a root beer?'"

Verity laughed, quoting, "'A root bear? What is it, my birthday?' Or what about 'Aw, you made me ink!' Or when we used to poke each other all the time?" The two girls collapsed in a fit of hysterical laughter, remembering the times they had spent together and all their inside jokes. They had been, still were, and always would be the best of friends, no matter how much time or distance separated them. Tears of laughter were in their eyes when a knock suddenly echoed at the door.

"Come in!" Annemarie gasped through her laughter, promptly rolling off the bed and landing on the floor with a thump, causing the both of them to laugh even harder, if at all possible. Albus opened the door, looking somewhat lost.

"Ver?" he asked softly, his bright green eyes pleading with her, "Can I steal you from Annemarie for a moment?"

"That's fine, Al," Annemarie replied. She turned to Verity, saying, "Consider yourself stolen." The two of them giggled, feeling like they were ten again.

"Of course, Al," Verity said, leaving the room with him. He brought her out to the den and sat on the couch, patting his lap, indicating that he want her to sit on it. She obliged happily, settling herself against him. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm ready to start my life over again," he said, "like you said earlier."

She turned to her, her bright blue eyes full of questions. "How so?"

"I'm ready to move past this. I'm done mourning the past and I'm ready for the future… getting married to you… starting a family… helping James woo Annemarie… I'm ready for it," he said.

She smiled, pressing her lips to his longingly. She broke off, saying, "That's wonderful, Albus."

"There's just one more thing," he added hesitantly, one hand resting against her stomach, the other running anxiously through his jet black hair.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, saying, "Godric's Hollow?"

"Godric's Hollow"


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Still don't own, don't sue please. Yes, I'm posting again, despite high school. Love me, adore me. Read and review please. Enjoy. LAST CHAPTER! Sequel will cover the wedding. I'm pretty sure it'll be titled "Moving On". Thanks to all my loyal readers and yes, Annemarie will appear in the sequel. **

Chapter 22

Albus stood before the graves of Lily and James Potter, tears pouring down his handsome face. His green eyes were wrought with despair and hopelessness as he stared down at the graves of his long gone grandparents. They'd been there for decades… longer than he wanted to think about. Whatever was left of their remains surely lay under the dirt before him, decaying if not already completely disintegrated. Harry had given him a picture of his grandparents at their wedding.

Albus knew that he looked almost exactly like James, the same hair, face, and body build. The only difference what that he had his grandmother's eyes- brilliant emerald green in color and almond shaped. How long had they laid there, unnoticed, insignificant? He couldn't bear to think how few people had visited their graves and paid their respects.

Suddenly, a pair of lean arms wrapped around him. Through his tears, he caught sight of a blur of red hair. Verity. "Potter men have a thing for redheads," he remembered Harry telling him. It was certainly true- Lily Potter had been a redhead, so was Ginny, Verity was a redhead and now James was smitten with Annemarie, yet another redhead to steal the heart of a Potter man. She had been there with him the whole the time, standing silently and crying her own tears. Now she joined him in their little sob fest, her face buried in his chest. He suddenly didn't feel so alone, as long as she was at his side. As he wrapped his arms around in her in return, he realized that she was all he needed in this world; memories of her would not sustain him alone. He needed _her_. He needed her to be there, physically and mentally, to talk to him, to bare her soul to him, to love him. She was his oxygen, perhaps something more and certainly nothing less.

She pulled away from him, saying, "Here." She stepped back, drawing her wand and pointing it at a rock. She transfigured it into a golden object, two bands of solid gold entwined together. Each was different, but destined to the same fate. She handed it to him.

"You put it there," he said softly, offering it back to her.

She shook her head furiously. "You should do it; you're their grandson." He sighed, taking the bands from her and placing them tenderly on his grandparents' graves. He felt more tears slide from his eyes as he did so, wrapping his strong arms around Verity again, holding her like he never wanted to let her go. He thought back to all the times where he had thought she was going to die and he squeezed her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "What's wrong, Albus?" she whispered softly, her warm breath tickling his ear.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," he mumbled into her skin.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him with worry in her striking blue eyes.

"If you died… I'd probably die, as well," he replied. She sighed as a few more tears slid down her face, realizing that they both felt the same way.

"Same here, Albus," she said softly, her hands rubbing comforting circles on his back. "But if I die before you, I want you to promise me one thing."

"What?" he croaked, looking up at her. "Anything for you Verity."

"Promise me that you'd keep on living," she whispered fiercely, her blue eyes sparking with passion.

"Verity," he said slowly, sadly, "I couldn't."

"Yes, you could," she said passionately. "Promise me, and I'll promise you the same thing."

"It wouldn't be easy…" he groaned, pressing a kiss to her sweet smelling hair.

She laughed mirthlessly. "You think it'd be easy for me?"

"I promise," he said finally, kissing the corner of her mouth.

"I promise," she replied, her thumb tracing his lips. He moaned, drawing her to him.

"Verity…" he moaned, her tantalizing lips inches away from his…

"Yes, Albus?" she asked, her blue eyes brightening a bit.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she was surprisingly able to choke out before his lips crashed to hers, his arms circling her waist. Her arms looped around his neck, her hands playing absentmindedly with his hair. She broke away, breathless, asking, "Why do you love me?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, biting his lip in concentration. "Well…" he said slowly, "I love you because I am me and you are you." He chuckled, cocking his head at her and asking, "Did that make any sense at all?"

She giggled, "No." She linked her arm in his and added, "But I suppose it doesn't have to." Her head rested on his broad shoulder, her warm breath tickling his neck. They stayed there like that for a moment, wishing they could spend the rest of their lives that way. Verity finally broke the silence, asking, "Do you remember when you miserable after Lily's death three years ago?"

"Yeah," he nodded sadly. "I still miss her."

"Me too," Verity agreed, trying to nod her head while keeping it on his shoulder. "But do you remember what I said to you?"

He bit his lip, digging through his memory for her words. "You said… that Lily would want me to move on with my life." He smiled at the memories… they were so happy… and they still were… as long as they had each other.

"Do you remember what you did to prove to me that you had moved on?" she asked, pressing a soft kiss to the crook of his neck.

He shivered in pleasure, replying, "I snogged you senseless." She giggled as he added, "Then I gave you the promise ring."

"Exactly," she whispered, showing him the engagement ring on her ring finger. "Albus," she said, her lips curving into a smile against his skin, "are you ready to move on? To leave the past behind? To start your life anew?"

"As long as you're with me," he said firmly. She smiled, reaching up to press her lips to his briefly. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders; she wrapped an arm around his waist. The happy couple walked forward as best as they could in this awkward position, knowing deep within that the words they had just exchanged were as true, genuine, and sincere as it was possible to be. Albus smiled, knowing that his grandparents and his little sister would always be watching over him, wherever they were. Verity grinned in confidence that she would be complete, as long as she had those she loved, especially the man who currently had his arms wrapped around her. Together, Albus and Verity walked away from the past, ready to move on, leave the past behind, and to start their lives anew.


End file.
